Olympic flag - what does it symbolize?

The beginning of the Olympic Games was held in southern Greece in the city of Olympia. The initial program of games included running on one stage. Then the program was supplemented by new types of competitions: running for two stages, for 24, with weapons. Then they added pentathlon, chariot races, fisticuffs and wrestling.

The award for the winner was the olive branch, and the residents of the city, whose representative was the champion, presented him with gifts, provided a place in the theater for free, exempted from taxes.

These traditions of the Olympic Games were preserved for eleven centuries. After that, the content and nature of the competition changed.

The Olympic Games of antiquity ceased to exist. This was due to a change in the world view and the dominant religion.

Now the Olympic Games are not just a competition of athletes. Holding this event in your country is a huge prestige both for the state itself and for its president.

Currently, the competitions are not without certain symbols - this is an obligatory attribute of the games (Olympic flag, medals, anthem, fire, oath, slogan, talismans, emblem and salute).

Logo of the Olympic Games

The official logo of the Olympics are five rings intertwined with each other. It was created by the founder of the competition by Baron Pierre de Coubertin in 1913. This is the main version of the creation of the Olympic flag. Initially, the colors of the rings were not symbols of any of the continents or states. This came much later. Five rings began to symbolize the number of continents: Australia (green), America (red), Asia (yellow). Europe has blue, and Africa has black colors. The sixth continent - Antarctica - for some reason was not taken into account. The flag of any state has at least one of the colors present on the rings. The Olympic flag includes a logo with five rings, represented in the corresponding color.

The second version of the flag creation

Here is another version of what the flag of the Olympic Games symbolizes. It is very original. This is the creation of the Olympic rings by the psychologist Karl Jung. As a supporter of Chinese philosophy, Carl Jung personified the rings with vitality, grandeur and energy. The beliefs of the Chinese speak of the management of the world by five energies: earth, fire, water, metal and wood. These symbols Jung combined into five rings. In this case, sports (in Jung's opinion) also had their own colors. Swimming - blue, fencing - red, running - yellow, jumping - green, shooting - black. He was convinced that each of the sportsmen should own all five sports.

Now the Olympic flag symbolizes not five sports, not five energies, but five continents.

Flag of the Olympics

The flag was raised for the first time in 1914 in the capital of France, but not at the Olympic Games, but to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the revival of these competitions. For the first time it was planned to use the Olympic flag in games in 1916. Because of the war, the competitions did not take place, and the banner was not presented to the public. In the early twentieth century (in Belgium), the seventh long-awaited Olympic Games took place. The flag with the logo of these competitions was presented for the first time. All ceremonies for the opening and closing of the competitions in question are not without the rings of the five continents, which symbolizes the flag of the Olympic Games.

Definitions of the Olympic flag

To date, one of the paragraphs of the Olympic Charter summarizes the definitions of concepts: the symbol, motto and emblem of games.

Expressing the desire for movement The Olympic motto is: "Faster, higher, stronger!" This phrase was uttered by the French priest Henri Didon and was subsequently taken as the motto by the founders of the games.

The Olympic emblem is a combination of rings and other distinctive signs. It is familiar to almost every person.

The Olympic symbol is the ring used in multi-color or monophonic performance.

What does the Olympic flag look like?

The Olympic banner looks like a white canvas with a gold border, in the center of which are five intertwined rings. The white flag of the Olympic Games symbolizes peace during their conduct. Thanks to this color, all the rings on the banner look more correctly and without distortion. When viewed from left to right, the first ring on the flag is blue, then yellow, black, green and red. The closest thing to the flagpole is the blue circle.

Rings are the unity of the five continents, which symbolizes the Olympic flag. We have already spoken about this.

The banner, motto, symbol and emblem are the property of the International Olympic Committee.

Banner at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games

What role does it play? The opening of the Olympic Games begins with the lifting of the Olympic flag on the flagstaff of the stadium without the golden rim. The banner is made by the country that holds competitions on its territory. At the time of closure, the country in which the competitions took place passes the Olympic flag to the state in which they are scheduled to be held in four years time. But it is already with a golden fringe.

Other game symbols

The Olympic flame as one of the significant and important symbols of the competitions under consideration is lit from a parabolic mirror in Greece. Then, from one athlete to another athlete, the fire is transmitted and swept across the five continents. On the opening day of the Olympics, the torch is passed to the venue, which symbolizes the beginning of the games.

The host party chooses the mascot of the Olympics at its own discretion. So it was always. Usually an animal acts as a talisman. Where did this symbol come from? His birth mascot was not so long ago - in 1968. And in 1972 in Munich, Valdis's dachshund was recognized as the first official talisman.

The slogan of the Olympics is the Latin words - "Citius, Altius, Fortius" ("Faster, higher, stronger").

Olympic medals of gold, silver and bronze are awarded to athletes who have won competitions. If this is a team sport, then each member of the team gets medals. The organizers themselves develop their unique design of awards.

The hymn of the Olympic Games (sounded during their opening and closing) is written by a Greek composer. He was also heard by many sports fans and adherents of a healthy lifestyle.

Oath of the Olympics written by Pierre Coubertin. Later it was slightly changed.

The olive branch means a symbol of tranquility and truce, and the Olympic salute warns about the closure of the competition.

Emblems of competitions symbolize different kinds of competitions. For example, a skier personifies ski sports.

Why symbols are needed in competitions

Traditions, expressed in symbols, help to feel the importance and significance of the Olympics held, the unity of all countries. So - and all five continents.

The Olympic Games, which are currently held, are imbued with symbols and traditions. During their conduct, many viewers carefully follow the impressive spectacle, the success of the athletes or the teams for which they are ill. However, even at the end of the 19th century, the Olympic attributes were much smaller. Now the number of different characters only increases. Their main goal is to promote the Olympic Games.

In addition to the main one, there is another version of creating such a large number of symbols - this is the source of income of the organizing committee. Therefore, the number of products sold with the Olympic symbols only increases. Now we know what the Olympic flag looks like and other symbols of the competition.