GREECE
The flag and the anthem
The flag
The flag of Greece is based on nine equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white. There is a blue canton on the upper side corner bearing a white cross.
The proportion is 2:3
The flag of Greece, popularly referred to as the “sky-blue- white”, is officially recognized by Greece as one of its national symbols.
, The flag is based on nine equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white
According to a popular tradition, the nine stripes represent the nine syllables of the phrase «Ελευθερία ή Θάνατος" ("Freedom or Death").
The five blue stripes for the syllables “Έλευθερία” (Freedom) and the four white stripes "ή Θάνατος“ (or Death). The nine stripes are also said to represent the letters of the word "freedom" (Greek: Ελευθερία).
The white cross symbolizes Eastern Orthodox Christianity…
…the established religion of the Greek people of Greece and Cyprus.
In fact, blue is the colour of Greece.
Blue and white have some interpretations Blue and white have some interpretations. They symbolize the sea and the waves…
…the sky and the clouds,…
…as well as the traditional colours of Greek dresses.
It could also be the symbol of the narrow relationship beetwen the Greeks and the sea.
History of the Greek flag
The first version of the flag dates back to 1822, just after Greece declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1821.
In 1978 the current flag was adopted as the sole national flag.
The flag is used on both land and sea, it is also the war and civil ensign.
The anthem
Imnos eis tin Eleftherían Ύμνος εις την Ελευθερίαν, Ὕμνος εἰς τὴν Eλευθερίαν, Himno a la Libertad Hymn to Liberty or Hymn to Freedom It is the national anthem from 1865.
The two authors of the Greek anthem are Dionysios Solomos and Nikolaos Mantzaros.
The Hymn to Liberty or Hymn to Freedom is a poem written by Dionysios Solomos in 1823.
It consists on 158 stanzas and it is used as the national anthem of Greece and Cyprus.
It was set to music by Nikolaos Mantzaros and it is the longest national anthem in the world by length of text.
Σε γνωρίζω από την κόψη του σπαθιού την τρομερή, σε γνωρίζω από την όψη, πού με βία μετράει τη γη.
Απ' τα κόκκαλα βγαλμένη των Ελλήνων τα ιερά, και σαν πρώτα ανδρειωμένη, χαίρε ω, χαίρε Eλευθεριά!
Spanish translation Te conozco por el filo tan terrible de tu espada, te conozco por la mirada que fulminante mide la tierra. Salida de los huesos sagrados de los griegos, y poderosa como antaño, salve, salve libertad.
English translation Literal I recognize you by the fearsome sharpness, of your sword, I recognize you by the gleam (in your eyes) with which you rapidly survey the earth. From the sacred bones, of the Hellenes arisen, and valiant again as you once were, hail, o hail, Liberty!
Poetic I shall always recognize you by the dreadful sword you hold as the Earth with searching vision you survey with spirit bold From the Greeks of old whose dying brought to life and spirit free now with ancient valour rising let us hail you, oh Liberty!
¡VIVA GRECIA!