Greece is celebrating its Independence Day indoors, without parades and rallies due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

Footage from Wednesday (March 25) shows flags flying from balconies, queues outside traditional fish and chips shops and fighter jets flying over the Greek city of Thessaloniki in a bid to increase morale.

Greece Marks Independence Anniversary Amid Coronavirus Lockdown - Celebrations and parades cancelled, empty streets, people walking with medical masks on, this is not Independence day in Greece usually looks like. Only flags on lockdown people's balconies and lines out of shops selling traditional fish and chips for this day, remind 25 of March and Greece should be celebratimg its freedom. Fighter jets fly over Thessaloniki and other Greek cities in order to increase morale.

In Athens a handful of politicians led by President of Greece Katerina Sakellaropoulou, PM Mitsotakis and leaders of opposition parties, together with the top leadership of the country’s armed forces, marked the anniversary of the War of Independence on Wednesday.

As the country is under lockdown fighting the spread of coronavirus, the traditional laying of the wreath ceremony at the monument of the Unknown Soldier was scaled-down at Syntagma Square opposite the Parliament building. A handful of fighter jets and helicopter flew over Athens reminding Greeks of the heroic 1821 revolution when the nation began its liberation struggle against the Ottoman Empire. Usually the anniversary is marked with a grand military parade, with thousands filling the streets holding Greek flags. But not today. Greeks stayed at home, just as instructed by the authorities, watching the proceedings from their television sets.

President Sakellaropoulou said that although the nation won’t hold any parades this year, ”we are witnessing parades of our everyday heroes,” referring to the armed forces, the military, doctors, nurses and ordinary workers, who ”sacrifice without the expectation of any benefits or recognition.”

In his message celebrating this day, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said: “The enemy is now the pandemic and against it we will parade our strength and unity.”