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Olympic Traditions: One World, One Dream

The 2008 Olympic Games are slated to begin in Beijing at the 8th minute of the 8th hour on the 8th day of the 8th month in the year 2008 (the Chinese consider 8 to be a very lucky number). The Summer Games of the 29th Olympiad will be beamed to over 3.5 billion people in 220 countries – the largest single broadcast event in the world. The Olympics have a rich history of tradition that has spanned numerous centuries. Check out these interesting Olympic facts.

Olympic History
The Olympics first began in 776 B.C. in Olympia, Greece, and were held every four years (a time period known as an Olympiad) until 393 A.D. when they were banned as a pagan festival (the ancient games were in honor of the Greek god Zeus). The tradition was re-instituted in 1896 at the suggestion of French educator Baron Pierre de Coubertin. Fittingly, the first modern-day Olympics were held in Athens.

Opening Ceremonies
The very first opening ceremony was held at the 1908 Olympic Games in London. Traditionally, the Greek Olympic team always leads the procession of athletes during the ceremony. Teams from all other nations follow in alphabetical order with the exception of the host country team, which marches in last.

Olympic Flame
The Olympic Flame has been part of the Games since the ancient Olympics and represents purity and the striving for perfection. Following the method of the ancient athletes, women wearing traditional Greek robes ignite the flame in Olympia, Greece, using a curved mirror and the Sun. Runners then carry the flame from the ancient site to the Olympic stadium in the host country. This Olympic Torch Relay, first begun in 1936, symbolizes the continuation of the ancient Olympic Games into the modern era.

Olympic Medals
Olympic medals were not part of the ancient Games where the winner simply received an olive wreath on his head. Medals were first introduced at the 1896 Olympics where first place winners received silver medals and second place winners received bronze medals (no medals were given for third place). The custom of awarding gold, silver, and bronze medals to the top three finishers was first adopted at the 1904 Olympic Games in St. Louis. The coveted gold medal was made of solid gold through the 1912 Olympics, but is now made of gold-plated sterling silver.

Olympic Flag
The Olympic Flag was created in 1914 by Pierre de Coubertin and was first flown at the 1920 Olympics. The flag displays five interconnected rings representing the friendship the Games foster between nations from the five regions of the world – Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceana. Each ring is a different color, and at least one ring color – blue, yellow, black, green, and red – appears on every nation’s flag.

The 2008 Olympic Games will continue the centuries of Olympic traditions, the most important of which is the promotion of global goodwill. As athletes gather from all the nations, they will be reminded of the words of the Olympic Creed: "The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."