On Friday October 30th the Olympic flame touched down onto Canadian soil in Victoria, British Columbia. This is a significant and historic event for British Columbians. However before it arrived in our beautiful country, the Olympic flame must be lit in a traditional ceremony in Olympia, Greece. It will then go on an eight day relay throughout Greece and then handed over to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Committee.
The lighting Ceremony, took place at the temple of Hera at the Olympia site. This ceremony is celebrating the ancient rituals and honoring the Greek Gods Zeus and Hera. The Olympic Flame is lit by sunlight focused on a metal reflector and is the only way the flame can be lit. After the rituals took place the torch went on an 8 day, 2180-kilometre relay throughout 22 regions, 42 municipalities, 3 municipality districts and 1 community, around Greece.
The history of the Olympic torch relay symbolizes “peace, brotherhood. enlightenment and represents a summons to the Olympic Games.” During the ancient games, the torch relay was important element of cultural festivities, announcing to the communities that the Games of Olympia were starting and that to be a truce between all. The first modern Olympic Torch relays happened during the 1936 Berlin Olympics, where the torch traveled from Greece to Berlin.
The Olympic torch has now arrived in Canada. After the traditional ceremony of the Greece Relay, the flame was handed over to the Vancouver Olympic Committee on October 29th and landed in Victoria on October 30th.
This journey of the Olympic Flame will travel for over 100days, visit over 1000 communities with nearly 200 celebrations in various communities. The flame will travel over 45 000 km and 12 000 Canadians with help bring the torch back to Vancouver on February 12th.
If you are not excited by the current events this past weekend, get excited now. The Olympics are just around the corner, Vancouver will be on the world stage and you will get first hand experience of this historic event.
The lighting Ceremony, took place at the temple of Hera at the Olympia site. This ceremony is celebrating the ancient rituals and honoring the Greek Gods Zeus and Hera. The Olympic Flame is lit by sunlight focused on a metal reflector and is the only way the flame can be lit. After the rituals took place the torch went on an 8 day, 2180-kilometre relay throughout 22 regions, 42 municipalities, 3 municipality districts and 1 community, around Greece.
The history of the Olympic torch relay symbolizes “peace, brotherhood. enlightenment and represents a summons to the Olympic Games.” During the ancient games, the torch relay was important element of cultural festivities, announcing to the communities that the Games of Olympia were starting and that to be a truce between all. The first modern Olympic Torch relays happened during the 1936 Berlin Olympics, where the torch traveled from Greece to Berlin.
The Olympic torch has now arrived in Canada. After the traditional ceremony of the Greece Relay, the flame was handed over to the Vancouver Olympic Committee on October 29th and landed in Victoria on October 30th.
This journey of the Olympic Flame will travel for over 100days, visit over 1000 communities with nearly 200 celebrations in various communities. The flame will travel over 45 000 km and 12 000 Canadians with help bring the torch back to Vancouver on February 12th.
If you are not excited by the current events this past weekend, get excited now. The Olympics are just around the corner, Vancouver will be on the world stage and you will get first hand experience of this historic event.
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