Union of the Ionian Islands

The 21st May is a feastday celebrated throughout Greece in honour of emperor Constantine and his mother Helene, the first Byzantine rulers.

The 21st May marks the date in 1864 when the Ionian islands were reunited with the rest of Greece.

It's a bank holiday with local bands and marching in the squares of Argostoli and Lixouri.

After the French Revolution of 1848, an insurrection broke out in Kefalonia as there was a strong feeling towards re-uniting Kefalonia and the rest of the Ionian islands to Greece. This was rigorously put down by the British by 1849. From that time, however, the first vote of the Chamber, whenever it assembled, was in favour of the union with Greece, after which vote it was immediately dissolved. The British Government, after sending Mr. Gladstone to investigate the situation in the Ionian islands decided to surrender the islands to Greece. King George I, upon ascending the throne at Athens, in 1863, consented to succeed Otho I only upon England's undertaking to cede the Ionian Archipelago to the Hellenic Kingdom. This cession was effected between 21 May and 2 June 1864. Since that time the Ionians have formed the three nomarchies, or departments, of Corfu, Kefalonia and Zakynthos.