The pattern and colors of the Greek Flag haven't changed
a lot since the Revolution of the Greek Nation in 1821.
Many people wonder why the founders of the Hellenic
Democracy have chosen the symbols, patterns and colors
that appear on the National Flag of Greece. It is
difficult to reveal the true intentions of the people
responsible for the selection of the flag.
The Design And Patterns Of The Flag
The striped flag has been in use since 1822, and was
approved in 1833. The nine stripes are said to stand for
the nine syllables of the Greek patriots' motto "Eleutheria
e Thanatos" meaning "Freedom or Death".
Freedom Or Death
Freedom or Death" was the motto during the years of
the Hellenic Revolution against the Ottoman Empire in
the 19th century [There are claims that the number of
lines reflects the number of letters in the greek word
for Freedom which equals 9]. This word stirred the heart
of the oppressed Greeks, it created intense emotions and
inspired them to fight and gain their freedom after 400
years of slavery.
The line pattern was chosen because of their
similarity with the wavy sea that surrounds the shores
of Greece. The interchange of blue and white colors
makes the Hellenic Flag on a windy day to look like the
Aegean Pelagos (Aegean Sea). Only the quaint islands are
missing!
The Greek Square Cross that rests on the upper
left-side of the flag and occupies one fourth of the
total area demonstrates the respect and the devotion the
Greek people have for the Greek Orthodox Church and
signifies the important role of Christianity in the
formation of the modern Hellenic Nation. During the dark
years of the Ottoman rule, the Greek Orthodox Church
helped the enslaved Greeks to retain their cultural
characteristics: the Greek language, the Byzantine
religion and generally the Greek ethnic identity, by the
institution of the Crypha Scholia (hidden schools). The
Crypha Scholia were a web of schools that operated
secretly throughout Greece and were committed in
transmitting to the Greeks the wonders of their
ancestors and the rest of their cultural heritage.
Today, Christianity is still the dominant religion among
Greeks. Therefore the existence of the Cross is
justified.
The Colors of The Flag
Blue and White! These two colors symbolize the blue
of the Greek sea and the whiteness of the restless Greek
waves! According to the mythic legends, the Goddess of
Beauty, Aphrodite emerged from these waves. In addition,
it reflects the blue of the Greek sky and the white of
the few clouds that travel in it. There are some who
suggest that the blue and white symbolizes the similar
color of the clothing (vrakes) of the Greek sailors
during the Greek War of Independence.
Technical Details
Flag adopted 22 December 1978, coat of arms adopted 7
June 1975.
Description: Nine horizontal stripes, alternatively
blue and white, and a white cross on a blue square field
in canton.
Proportion: 2:3
Use: on land, civil, State and war flag, at sea,
civil, State and war ensign.
Colour approximate specifications:
Blue: Pantone 286 c / CMYK (%) C 100 - M 60 - Y 0 - K
5
The simple white-cross-on-blue flag dates from 1822,
and was used as an alternative national flag, but only
in land, not at sea (although the jack is very similar).
Only the striped flag was used at sea. From June 1975
until December 1978 the plain cross flag was used as the
only national flag. The situation is now reversed, and
the striped flag is now the only official national flag,
although the cross flag can still be seen in unofficial
use.
Shade of the national flag
There is no officially prescribed shade of blue for
the Greek flag according to the 1978 law. The 1969 law
that abolished the plain cross flag did not specify a
particular shade either, but it did provide that all
flags should conform with "prototype" flags lodged with
two government departments. The shade of blue on the
prototypes was, probably, very dark hence the very dark
shade of flags made in 1970- 1975. A lighter shade of
blue is used nowadays (by convention, presumably) but
sill not as light as United Nations Organization blue.
Coat of arms
