The origins of the Olympic Flame go back to ancient Greece, when in each home a sacred flame burned partially in honor of the Goddess Hestia, protector of the home and guardian of the peace. At Olympia, a temple was built in her name, and a fire of embers burned in front of the altar.
When the Olympic Games were held, a victorious athlete was given the privilege of reviving the Flame. Thus, symbolically, the youth of Greece established a continuing link between the old and new generations.
With the passing of time, the Flame was lost and extinguished. It was not until the Amsterdam Games in 1928 and those in Los Angeles in 1932, that it was reignited. In order to respect age-old tradition, ancient Greek ritual is used to fire the Sacred Flame at Olympia; an olive branch is exposed to the rays of the Peloponnesian sun which are intensified through a parabolic mirror.
The Olympic Flame symbolizes the eternal principles of the Olympic philosophy, which aims at the development of the complete human, useful to family, nation, and mankind.
The modern tradition of relaying the Flame from Olympia to the host city goes back to 1936, when it was used for the Berlin Games.
On July 13, 1976 the second Flame will be ignited at Olympia. From there, 550 Greek runners will carry it in relays to Athens. Two days later, the Flame will be transferred electronically in a fraction of a second from Athens to Ottawa. Upon arrival in Canada, the Flame will be borne by more than 500 female and male torchbearers to the Olympic Stadium in Montreal, and on to Kingston, Ontario, site of the Yachting competition. The Flame will make its appearance in both locations, July 17, the day of the official opening of the Games of the XXI Olympiad.
