The Olympic Flame, Olympic Torches

The Olympic flame was first lit in 1928 at the Amsterdam Games. It is a symbol of continuity between the ancient and modern Games, and traces back to the ancient Greek practice of keeping a sacred fire burning at Olympia throughout the Games, as an offering to the god Zeus.

The lighting ceremony

The flame is lit in front of the ruins of the Temple of Hera in Olympia, Greece, by focusing the rays of the sun with a parabolic mirror to ignite it - no artificial flame is used, so that the fire is, symbolically, lit by the sun itself. The ceremony is performed by actresses dressed as ancient Greek priestesses in a reconstruction of the ancient ritual, a tradition that began at the 1936 Berlin Games and has continued, with modern refinements, ever since.

The torch relay

A long relay of runners carries the torches from Olympia, across Greece and then through the host country, to the host city, where the final torch is used to light a cauldron; the Games are then declared officially open by kindling the torch, and the flame remains lit until it is extinguished at the Closing Ceremony.