The Flags of the Olympics
It’s almost time for the Olympic Games. Almost two hundred countries are coming together to compete in the games, and the Olympics are one of the only times that you can see all of their country flags in one place. The Olympic countries flags will fly next to the flags of the Olympics themselves, and that’s a sight that you cannot see anywhere else in the world.
The Olympic Flag
The Olympic flag might not be as famous as the Olympic torch, but it’s still an important symbol of the games. The Olympic flags for sale on the modern market display the five joined rings of the Olympic Games on a white field. You can see a fairly wide variety of flags flying over stadiums and and hanging all over the host city because the details of the flag are not specified by the Olympic Committee. Some flags feature outlines around the rings, and most of them use slightly different shades of each color. Those differences tend to make the flags popular with collectors, who take advantage of the Olympic flags for sale to expand their collection during each competition.
The Heirloom Flags
You can also see one special flag at the end of the Olympic Games. The mayor of the city that hosts the games receives a special flag to fly over city hall. Unlike the other flags of the Olympics, this flag is preserved from one event to the next as an heirloom. The first flag was created for the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp, but it was stolen near the end of the games. The Antwerp flag was finally returned in 1997, and you can still see it if you travel to a museum in Switzerland.
A new flag was made for the Paris games in 1924, and that flag got used until the Seoul Olympics in 1988 when it had to be replaced. The Seoul flag is still in use for the Summer Olympics, although the Winter Olympics and Youth Olympics do use different flags.
Flags of the Olympic Countries
Country flags may not be unique to the Olympics, but you can still see them at the games. The Olympics are a time for national pride, so it’s only natural that the flags of countries that take part in them would be on display.
At the Olympic Games
It’s easy to find country flags for sale around the Olympics because of all the different ways that people use them. The most famous and impressive display is the Parade of Nations, but people who attend to the games or simply live in the city usually take the opportunity to show their support by flying flags of the Olympic countries that they support. Many of the spectators will even fly flags of nations other than their own, either because their own nation is not competing in an event or because they want to show their support for an ally after their own team has been eliminated.
In Your Home
Most people don’t watch the Olympics in the stadium, but that’s no reason not to show your support with a Team USA flag. That is especially true if you plan to watch the games in a sports bar or at a viewing party. If you’re hosting a party, there are a few ways that you can use the Olympic countries flags to make the experience better for your guests:
- Hand out small country flags so that people can show off their favorite team. Shared support can help give people a connection with each other, so this is a good plan to break the ice between guests who have never met.
- Flags are a good way to help people visualize a competitive bracket. Write out the bracket on on a blackboard or on a table, but use flags instead of names to indicate the competitors. Moving a flag when someone advances is easier than erasing and rewriting a name, plus it makes it easier to understand the bracket from a distance.
- Never forget the value of simple decoration. It’s better to feature a display of flags than a bare wall. The Olympics are a time when nations come together in peace, so you should feel free to show off the flags of as many countries as you can, even if you don’t support their teams. It’s in the spirit of the competition.
Gettysburg Flag Works proudly carries the perfect selection of Olympic Flags for you to fly on your flagpole or mount on your house.
Flags and the Olympic Spirit
Nothing brings the nations of the world together quite like the Olympic Games. It’s one of the only times that you can see the flags of countries that barely get along with each other flying side by side. Those flags are among the strongest symbols of the Olympic spirit of international brotherhood and friendly competition. There’s no better time to look through the country flags for sale and find a symbol of peaceful pride to display in honor of the Olympic Games.