The Olympic Games began in southern Greece in the city of Olympia. The original game program included one-stage running. Further, the program began to be supplemented by new types of competitions: running in two stages, at 24, with weapons. Then pentathlon, chariot races, fisticuffs and wrestling were added.
The award for the winner was an olive branch, and residents of the city, the representative of which was the champion, presented him with gifts, provided a place in the theater for free, and exempted from taxes.
These traditions of the Olympic Games have been preserved for eleven centuries. After a change in the content and nature of the competition began to be traced.
The Olympic Games of antiquity ceased to exist. This was due to a change in worldview and the prevailing religion.
Now the Olympic Games are not just a competition of athletes. Holding this event in one’s country is a huge prestige both for the state itself and for its president.
Currently, the competitions are not complete without a certain symbolism - this is a mandatory attribute of the games (Olympic flag, medals, anthem, fire, oath, slogan, talismans, emblem and fireworks).
Olympic Games logo
The official logo of the Olympics are five rings intertwined. It was created by the founder of the competition, 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. It appeared much later. Five rings began to symbolize the number of continents: Australia (green), America (red), Asia (yellow). Europe has blue, while Africa has black. 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 presented in the corresponding color.
Second version of flag creation
Here is another version of what the Olympic flag symbolizes. She is very original. This is the creation of the Olympic rings by psychologist Carl Jung. A supporter of Chinese philosophy, Carl Jung personified rings with vitality, grandeur and energy. Chinese beliefs speak of controlling the world with five energies: earth, fire, water, metal and wood. Jung combined these symbols into five rings. At the same time, sports (according to Jung) also had their own colors. Swimming is blue, fencing is red, running is yellow, jumping is green, shooting is black. He was convinced that each of the athletes should own all five sports.
Now the Olympic flag symbolizes not five sports, not five energies, but five continents.
Olympics flag
The flag was first hoisted 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, competitions did not take place, and the banner was not presented to the public. At the beginning of the twentieth century (in Belgium) the seventh long-awaited Olympic Games took place. The flag with the logo of these competitions was first presented at them. All the opening and closing ceremonies of the competitions in question are not complete without the rings of five continents, which symbolizes the flag of the Olympic Games.
Olympic flag definitions
Today, in one paragraph of the Olympic Charter, definitions of concepts are summarized: symbol, motto and emblem of games.
Expressing the desire for movement, the Olympic motto is: “Faster, higher, stronger!” It was this phrase that was uttered by the French priest Henri Dido and was later taken as a motto by the founders of the games.
An Olympic emblem is a combination of rings and other decals. She is familiar to almost every person.
The Olympic symbol is rings used in multi-color or solid colors.
What does the Olympic flag look like?
The Olympic banner looks like a white cloth with a gold border, in the center of which are five intertwined rings. The white flag of the Olympic Games symbolizes the world during their holding. Thanks to this color, all the rings on the banner look more correct and without distortion. If you look from left to right, the first ring on the flag is blue, then yellow, black, green and red. The blue circle is closest to the flagpole.
Rings are a unity of five continents that symbolizes the Olympic flag. We have already talked 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 raising the stadium on the flagpole without the golden border of the Olympic flag. The banner is made by the country that holds competitions on its territory. At the time of the closure, the country in which the competitions were held passes the Olympic flag to the state in which they are planned to be held in four years. But he is already with a gold border.
Other game symbols
The Olympic flame, as one of the significant and important symbols of the contests under consideration, is lit from a parabolic mirror in Greece. Then, from one athlete to another athlete, fire is transmitted and sweeps across all five continents. On the opening day of the Olympics, the torch is transferred to the venue, which symbolizes the start of the games.
The mascot of the Olympics, the host party chooses at its discretion. It has always been so. Usually a mascot is some kind of animal. Where did this symbol come from? The mascot received its birth not so long ago - in 1968. And in 1972 in Munich, the dachshund Waldi was recognized as the first official mascot.
The motto 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 the competition. If this is a team sport, then each member of the team receives medals. Competition organizers themselves develop their own unique award design.
The anthem of the Olympic Games (sounds during their opening and closing) was written by a Greek composer. He has also been heard by many sports fans and adherents of a healthy lifestyle.
The oath of the Olympics was written by Pierre Coubertin. Later it was slightly modified.
The olive branch means a symbol of calm and truce, and the Olympic salute warns of the closure of the competition.
Competition emblems symbolize various types of competitions. For example, a skier personifies skiing.
Why do we need symbols in competitions
Traditions expressed in symbols help to feel the importance and significance of the Olympics, the unity of all countries. And that means - and all five continents.
The Olympic Games, which are currently underway, are imbued with symbols and traditions. During their holding, many viewers closely monitor the impressive spectacle, the success of athletes or teams for which they are a fan. However, at the end of the 19th century there were much fewer Olympic attributes. Now the number of various characters is only increasing. Their main goal is to promote the Olympic Games.
In addition to the main one, there is another version of creating such an amount of symbolism - this is the source of income of the organizing committee. Therefore, the number of products sold with the symbols of the Olympic Games is only increasing. Now we know what the Olympic flag and other competition symbols look like.