by Antony J Waller

Created on: November 12, 2009

Here are a few facts that you may or may not know about the national flag of Greece.

The national flag of Greece is blue and white. The flag is nicknamed "Galanolefci" or "blue and white".

The flag itself is made up from an equal armed white cross positioned in the upper left hand corner of the flag and on a blue background. The remainder of the flag is nine alternating blue and white horizontal stripes. There are five blue stripes and four white stripes, the top and bottom stripes both being blue.

The square cross, or Hellenic cross, in the corner of the flag signifies the role of Christianity in the making of modern Greece and the devotion of the people to the Greek Orthodox Church whilst under the yoke of Ottoman rule. Today Christianity remains the prevalent religion throughout Greece.

According to tradition the nine blue and white stripes are said to represent the nine syllables in the Greek phrase "Eleutheria H Thanatos", translated as "Freedom or Death", a battle cry used during the fight for independence against the Ottoman Empire.

However, there is another theory that the nine stripes may represent the nine Muses, the goddesses or spirits in Greek mythology who embody the arts and inspire creativity with their graces. It is also said that the blue and white depicts the goddess Aphrodite rising up from the blue ocean and white seafoam.

The blue of the flag represents the sea and the white the waves on the ocean.

Blue is also seen as the colour of protection. Traditional Greek amulets carry blue eyes to ward off evil. White is seen as the colour of purity. White and blue have been symbolic Greek colours since ancient times.

There is no official shade or depth of colour to the flag, which is most unusual amongst national flags. Therefore the blue colouring may vary from a very pale blue to deep navy blue.

Greek Flag Day is on 27th October.

The present Greek flag was officially adopted in 1978 and prior to this consisted of a diagonal cross. The flag as it is today was for use at sea only. The Greek flag was formally adopted in 1822 by the First National Assembly of Greece after the Greek War of Independence or Greek Revolution waged against the Ottoman Turkish Empire.

There is a Greek 'War' flag used by the Army and Air Force which is square in shape with a white cross on a blue background. At the centre of the cross there is an image of Saint George shown on Army flags and of archangel Michael on Air Force flags. The navy flag is identical to the national flag.

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