Flag And Anthem
About The Flag
Credit And Source: Greeknewsagenda.org
Referred to as the Γαλανόλευκη (galanolefki) or Κυανόλευκη (kyanolefki), the national flag of Greece consists of a white cross on a blue background in the upper left corner of the banner, with nine equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white. The cross represents Eastern Orthodox Christianity, the official religion of the Greek nation and Cyprus, with the blue nine stripes representing the nine syllables of the phrase ‘Ελευθερία ή Θάνατος’ (‘Eleftheria I Thanatos’, which means Freedom or Death), though some say they are meant to symbolise the nine letters of the Greek word ‘freedom’ (ελευθερία or eleftheria).. The flag always follows a proportion of 2:3, with no official appointed shade of blue, though many flags tend to feature dark or royal blue.
Although the current design of the national flag is 200 years old, it has been in continuous use as the sole national flag since 1978; it was originally used only as the sea flag, while the official flag Greece had, had a simpler arrangement.
The Law 851/1978 “Regarding the National Flag, the War Flags and the Emblem of the President of the Republic” determines the flag’s colours, design and ratio (2:3), and also the places and times where a flag or ensign must (or can) be flown, the type of pole used, when it should be flown half-mast, the contexts in which the use of the flag is forbidden etc.
History
One of the first flags to be widely used by Greek revolutionaries since the failed Orlov Revolt of 1770-71 (a major precursor to the Revolution of 1821) featured a light blue cross on a white field, similar to what would later be the Greek national flag, but with the colours reversed (reminiscent of what is now the flag of Finland, but with a Greek cross instead of a Nordic one).
On the outbreak of the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire, different units of the Greek army carried their own flags, which were of various colours, often using a tricolour design and featuring a series of symbols, such as the phoenix, the laurel, the anchor, images of saints or the fasces-like emblems of the Filiki Eteria, the secret society that orchestrated the revolt. The cross was, however, already prominently featured on many of these flags, as a symbol of orthodox Christianity, one of the core unifying factors among the revolutionary fighters.
In early 1822, the First National Assembly of Epidaurus –the first national representative political gathering in revolutionary Greece– passed a number of decisions, among which was the establishment of a Temporary Constitution of Greece. This constitution included a decision to adopt a universal national flag, decreeing that its colours would be blue and white, and that its particular arrangement would be determined by the Executive body.
On 15 March 1822, nearly one year after the declaration of the war, the Provisional Government issued the decree No.540, signed by the President of the Executive, Alexandros Mavrokordatos, which described the designated patterns: a simple white cross on a blue field for the land flag, nine stripes, alternate blue and white, with a white cross against blue in an upper left canton for the sea flag, and a blue flag with a white canton bearing a blue cross on the upper left-side corner as the civil naval ensign.
There has never been an official explanation regarding the choice of either the colours or the design; according to Greek lore, the blue and white are a reference to the colour of the sea and the spume of the waves, while the horizontal lines are nine echoing the number of syllables in the phrase “Eleftheria I Thanatos” (“Freedom or Death”), the motto of Greece, adopted by the Filiki Eteria (possibly inspired by the quotation “Give me liberty, or give me death!” attributed to American politician and orator Patrick Henry) or the number of letters in Eleftheria. However, this widespread theory has never been confirmed by an official source.
Greek flag day is celebrated on 27 October, on the eve of Ohi Day (“No” Day) – one of the two Greek national holidays, which commemorates the rejection of Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini’s ultimatum by Greek prime minister Ioannis Metaxas on 28 October 1940, and the subsequent counterattack against the invading Italian forces on the Greek northwestern front.
Oxi Day is also a moment to reflect on the virtues of courage, statesmanship, and national pride.
