Today, October 28, marks the anniversary of one of the most important days in the history of the world, yet few people remember it’s significance. But the Greeks do, and they celebrate OXI day, every year.

The day was October 28, 1940. At dawn that morning (4:00am), after a party in the German embassy in Athens, Mussolini (through Emanuele Grazzi, the Italian ambassador in Greece) issued an ultimatum to Greek Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas to surrender, or face open war with Italy.

Metaxas, a career military officer and more importantly a proud Greek, was not inclined to acquiesce to Mussolini’s demands (surprise!), thus touching off the beginning of the Greco-Italian War and a series of unbelievable events that would eventually neutralize Italy, cripple Germany, and cost 1,000,000 Greek lives.
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	marinic RT @johnpoz: OXI Day: How a Greek of Diaspora celebrates in the USA October 28th http://onemansblog.com/oxi
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	danielgmax RT @johnpoz: OXI Day: How the Greeks Helped End World War II http://onemansblog.com/oxi
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	wordpressascms RT @johnpoz: OXI Day: How the Greeks Helped End World War II - http://onemansblog.com/oxi oops thought you said geeks :)
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I think this guy’s shirt says it all…

Wow! This is incredible! In Italy you’ve got a license to lie and cheat in a relationship all you want! Why? Because having an extra-marital affair is wrong, and it would damage your ‘honor’, so clearly it should be lied about if you do it!

Hmmm. Let’s see… So if I murder, rape and pillage, those things must damage my honor as well. So it won’t be long before it’s legal to lie about that too! Pretty soon all of Italy will be lying their asses off – but at least they’ll all be honorable!
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