ATHENS, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Celebrations marking the commencement of the 1821 Revolution against Ottoman rule was held throughout Greece on Wednesday, with the main military parade in central Athens and local school parades in all parts of the country.

    Earlier, the head of Greek Church Archbishop Ieronymos officiated a Te Deum at Agios Dionisios church in the presence of Greek President Karolos Papoulias, Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and other senior officials.

    Papoulias said in a message after the parade that "today we are celebrating the greatest day of the modern Greek nation, as a people, with hope, passion and a vision as their sole weapon, rose up for their liberty."

    The message of the 1821 uprising, Papoulias stressed, was that when the Greeks are all united by an ideal and a purpose, they succeed in their goal, adding that this message was exceptionally timely today in the face of the global financial crisis.

    "We will overcome this crisis as well, with determination, and with the thought that we have overcome other crises as well and they did not bring us to our knees," the president said.

    "It is certain that this economic crisis will not bring us to our knees, despite the fact that many strata of the Greek society are going through hard times," Papoulias said while expressing optimism that the future will be better.

    Prime Minister Karamanlis said in his own statement that Wednesday's anniversary was a day of national remembrance but also of contemplation.

    He said that now the country was facing the impact of an international financial crisis of unprecedented depth and extent, and could only follow the road of those who were being honored today, those who did their duty and turned over a free and proud homeland to the future generations.

    "The duty of our generation is to turn over to our children a stronger Greece, a more just and human society. All together, with unity and solidarity, can succeed in this," Karamanlis added.

    President of the Greek Parliament Sioufas said that the anniversary was a "symbol" of faith, principles and values for the Greek people and dictated national understanding, unanimity and unity to confront the problems in this turbulent period "and not only."