January 1st is an important date in both Greece and Cyprus because it is not only the first day of the New Year but it is also Saint Basil’s Day.
Cypriots are not always described simply as “Cypriots”. The word is often used together with the prefix “Greek” or “Turkish” in recognition of the two major ethnic groups that inhabit the island: the Greek-speaking Greek Orthodox community and the Turkish-speaking Muslims.
The currency of the Republic of Cyprus is the Euro (€). It is divided into 100 Euro cents (¢).Cyprus switched to the Euro on January 1st, 2008. Prior to that, it had been using the Cypriot Pound as its currency.