Celebrations to mark Cyprus' 53rd year of independence from British colonial rule are not immune from the country's acute economic crisis.
To save money, authorities decided to drop for the first time tanks and other vehicles from a parade held annually in the ethnically split country on October 1st.
Defence Minister Fotis Fotiou says a people-only parade, as is common practice in most other EU countries, is enough to honour the country's independence and buoy public morale.
Fotiou said today that all the money saved will go toward providing morning meals to school children in need.
Cyprus' jobless rate stands at 17 per cent and is rising.
Cyprus in March agreed with international creditors on a multibillion euro financial rescue that gutted its banking sector.
