Special Olympics Symbol

With the increasing commercialization of the Olympics, sports scandals, and political connotations, it is often difficult to remember what the Olympics represent. In reality, this iconic sporting event has a rich history of symbolisms to represent its ideals.

One of the most famous symbols in the world is the Olympic emblem: five interlocking rings in blue, yellow, black, green, red with a white background. As described by the founder of the modern Olympics, Pierre de Coubertin, the rings represent the five inhabited continents of the world, united by Olympism.

The emblem of the Games is also seen on its flag. This flag has special meaning because it is raised at the beginning of the opening ceremony and lowered when the Games closed. In addition, the pavilion is used by an athlete and a judge of the host nation to take the Olympic oath. To remain faithful to the Games, the oath on behalf of others. It is an act to remind all athletes and judges to respect the spirit of the Games, without drugs and doping, and to respect the impartiality when judging.

Another iconic symbol of the Olympics is the flame. The Olympic flame is lit months in advance in Greece, the cradle of Olympic Games. The torch is then relayed across the world in celebration of the next Olympiad. Finally, the torch reaches the main stadium of the host city to light the cauldron at the center of the opening ceremony. This act officially starts the Olympics and is usually done with much fanfare and mystery as how the cauldron will ignite and will be the last torchbearer. The flame burns bright for the rest of the Games until it is extinguished at the closing ceremony.

Finally, perhaps what distinguishes each Olympic Games from others is their chosen mascot. For most host countries, they choose a native animal to represent their country with a history or information describing the animal. And for some countries, they have even more of a mascot to support the theme of their particular Olympiad. A good example of weaving culture into the Games are the mascots of the Beijing Olympics.

Collectively, the Beijing mascots are called FUWA or "friends". According to tradition, these mascots represent animals important in Chinese culture, such as fish, giant panda, Tibetan antelope, swallow, and last but not least, in honor of the Olympics, the flame. What makes the mascots memorable is that they each have a specific color by the Olympic rings - truly tying the culture of China in the symbolism of the Olympic Games.

So next time you come across an Olympic symbol, remember that there is a meaning behind it all.