The Meanings and History of the Olympic Symbols

How many Olympic Games and Olympic Opening Ceremonies have you watched and wondered what all the ceremonial symbols mean and why they do certain things by Olympic protocol. Here is your guide to what the Olympic events and symbols are for the Olympic Games and the Olympic Opening Ceremonies.

The Symbolism and History of the Olympic Rings, Colors, Emblems and Flag

The five rings represent the five continents. According to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), it is a misconception to believe that the six colors of the Olympic Flag (white, blue, yellow, black, green, red) correspond to a certain continent. The symbolism of the Olympic Rings dates back to 1913 when the symbol of Olympias appeared on a letter written by Pierre de Coubertin. The Olympic Flag was first seen at the 1920 Belgium Olympics.

Coubertin thought the rings had deep Olympism significance for the union between men. He multiplied the original image to create a total of five rings in a single half-moon line at the top of his letter. Coubertin also designed and commissioned the Olympic flag to mark the 20th anniversary of the IOC's Paris founding, on June 23, 1914. Coubertin never said nor wrote that he intended there to be a link between the colors of the Olympic rings and the continents. For him, the five Olympic rings symbolized the union of the five continents, but the colors were merely those that appeared in all the different national flags at the time.

The five Olympic rings colors, blue, yellow, black, green and red, represent the five parts of the world now enveloped by Olympism and competing against each other. The six colors of the Olympic Flag represent those of all nations, without exception. The blue and yellow represent Sweden, the blue and white of Greece, the French, English, American, German, Belgian, Italian and Hungarian tricolors, the yellow and red of Spain are side by side with the new Brazilian and Australian flags, the old Japan and China. It is truly an international symbol.

The Olympic Emblem is the use of the Olympic Rings along with other graphic elements for a particular Olympics. There are strict IOC guidelines to using the Olympic rings symbol on any official Olympics emblem in order to preserve the rich heritage of the meaning of the Olympic rings.

The Meaning and History of the Olympic Motto

CITIUS-ALTIUS-FORTIUS means Faster-Higher-Stronger. Coubertin believed that life lessons and strong values could be learned form international sports competition. He believed the Olympics should have a motto to reflect this belief and the motto was adopted in 1894. Coubertin borrowed the words of personal excellence from his priest friend, Henri Didon. Today, the Olympic motto continues to be a symbol of inspirational and motivation for athletes to work hard and strive to do their best.

What About That Olympic Torch? The Meaning and History of the Olympic Flame

The first torch relay and flame lighting in Olympia occurred at the Berlin Games in 1936. Even today, the passing of the Olympic Flame from Olympia to the Host Country symbolizes the upcoming Olympic Games and showcases many different cultures and customs across the continents and nations. A new torch is made for each Olympic Games and each Olympic Torch relay runner carries his/her own torch.

Several months before the opening of modern day Olympic Games, a flame is lit in Olympia Greece in memory of the ancient Olympic games. The Olympic flame can only be lit by the rays of the sun.

Olympic Opening Ceremony Symbolic Main Events

1. The Parade of Participants symbolizes the changing world around us and the growth of the Olympic Movement in the world. Greece always leads the parade since that is where the first Olympics were held. The host country always marches at the rear of the parade march. All other countries march in alphabetical order.

2. Let the Games Begin: according to Olympic Charter, the Head of State for the host country has the duty of opening the games. Special permission can be granted to someone other than Head of State, however. There have been 18 Heads of State open the Olympic Games since the Games of the I Olympiad in Athens, Greece in 1896.

3. The Olympic Anthem was first adopted in 1958 and played in 1960 even though it was created in 1896 for the first Games of the Olympiad in Athens. The Olympic Anthem was composed by Spiros Samaras and the words written by Kostis Palamas.

4. The symbolic release of pigeons, or doves, signifies peace. The release of the birds used to happen before the arrival of the Olympic torch into the arena. But after 1988, when several pigeons sitting on the edge of the Olympic cauldron were burned upon lighting the symbolic Olympic flame, this part of the Olympic Opening Ceremony was moved to after the Olympic flame is lit.

5. The taking of the Olympic Oath was first introduced into the Opening Ceremony in 1920 in Belgium. In Ancient Olympics, athletes swore oath on a sacrificial animal, but now they swear their Olympic Oath on the Olympic Flag. Part of the new Olympic Oath for Competitors adopted in the 2003 Charter pronounces that Olympic athletes will commit themselves "to a sport without doping and without drugs, in the true spirit of sportsmanship."

6. The artistic presentation is always a symbol of the culture, technology, and entertainment of the host country.

Sources:

IOC, Olympic Opening Ceremony

IOC, Olympic Symbols