Vlag van Griekenland

The current flag of Greece stood at the history of modern Greece in constant competition with a simple blue flag with a white cross. Only in 1978 sat today's design by the only national flag in the country.

color and meaning of the Greek flag

The national flag consists of nine equally wide horizontal stripes in blue and white. In the left upper canton is a white cross on a blue is, a square base. The side of the square corresponds to the width of five horizontal stripes, white cross that has the width of this strip.

The blue and white colors can be up in the Byzantine Empire traced. The blue varied very often. During the time of King Otto I Mittelblau modeled after the crest of the Bavarian Wittelsbach was used. The Greek military junta from 1967 to 1974 used a very dark blue. The current flag is a light blue law mentioned. In most cases, we can see that the flag in an ultramarine blue, so also on the website of the Greek President.

The flag should represent "the wisdom of God, freedom and the country." The blue represents the sea and sky, white for the purity of the struggle for independence. The cross represents the Christian tradition of Greece, which is maintained primarily by the Orthodox Church. The nine stripes correspond to the nine syllables of the choice award of the Greek War of Independence: Ε-λευ-θε-ρί-α ή Θά-να-τος (E-lef-the-ri-a i Tha-na-tos, German Freedom or Death). Another explanation is that the Greek word for freedom (Ελευθερία) has nine letters. A third interpretation is that the four white stripes to the four directions and the five blue stripes correspond to the five parts of the Mediterranean seas that border the area, which in Greece on behalf of the Megali Idea 19th Century sought.

history of the Greek flag

With the Greek Revolution from 1821 to 1829 were freed the Peloponnese, Attica and the rest of Central Greece from Ottoman rule. During the struggle for independence from the Ottomans used the supporters of the family of Kolokotronis and Cypriot fighters Hadjigeorgios a blue cross on a white ground. Maybe it has already been used by the revolutionaries under Mellissinos Makarios of the 1769th The Greek guerrilla used at this time a horizontal yellow-blue-white tricolor with a white cross in the blue stripes in a laurel wreath. On 21 March 1821 began Andreas Londos, a red flag with a black, over a Latin cross with the tops turned down white crescent. The back of the flag was just red.

In January 1822 blue and white were adopted as national colors. On 27 March. (According to the Julian calendar on March 15) The flag, which is now the single national flag, served first as war maritime flag. As a war flag to land a white cross on a blue background was used, for merchant ships a blue flag was used in the Canton had a white rectangle with a blue cross .

Between 1828 and 1970 it was determined that the flag is used with the strips outside Greece and the Cross flag only domestically. The old merchant flag was abolished, civil ships used instead now the striped flag.

The Kingdom of Greece was a crown in the war and the state flag. Among the Wittelsbach kings and the Wittelsbach arms was used.

From the 18th August 1970 because of the importance of maritime Greece for the striped flag is the only national flag in the country. She had an aspect ratio of 7:12. Between June 1975 and December 1978, the cross flag for single flag, then it was again officially the striped flag. Nevertheless, the cross flag is still used by the Greek army during parades and as a symbol on their vehicles.

Anthem

Ik herken je aan de scherpte

van uw zwaard, de verschrikkelijke,

Ik ken u aan de blik

die de aarde met kracht meet.

Van de heilige beenderen

van de Hellenen

en, zoals ooit, nu sterk,

Vrijheid, vrijheid, heil!

Opgesloten daar in het graf,

gekoeioneerd en bedroefd,

wachtte je op de stem

om te zeggen, "Kom terug!"

Die dag liet lang op zich wachten,

alles was doodstil,

alles was verduisterd door angst,

slavernij bedekte alles.

Ongelukkig bleef alleen troost over

de herinnering aan de grootsheid

van de grootheid lang geleden, die je

huilt.

Ademloos wachtend, verveeld wachtend

op een woord van vrijheid,

de ene hand de andere slaand

in wanhoop de hele tijd.

En je zei: "Wanneer zal ik mijn hoofd...

uit deze ellende?"

De klaagzangen antwoordden van boven,

...ketenen, weeënkreten.

Toen hief gij uw ogen op..,

...verduisterd door het huilen..,

bloed druipend op je kleren,

veel van het bloed van Greekity.

Met de bebloede kleren

ging gij in het geheim weg,

om in een vreemd land

andere handen vol kracht.

Alleen ging je je weg,

Eenzaam keerde je terug

"De deuren van vreemden zijn niet gemakkelijk

Wanneer de nood aan hun deur klopt.

Achterwaarts draai je je stappen,

Spoedig stap je met je voet

die rots, dat gazon

Dat je herinnert aan glorie.

Nederig buig je naar de grond

het hoofd dat is beproefd door lijden,

zoals de arme man die bedelt,

Voor wie het leven een last is.

Maar nu naar de strijd

elk kind van jou met kracht

en in rusteloze inspanning

Strijdt voor overwinning of dood.

Van de heilige beenderen

van de Hellenen,

en, zoals ooit, nu sterk,

Vrijheid, vrijheid, heil!