Emily Flores
Just imagine a Greek actress dressed in flowing robes standing before the ruins of an ancient temple, raising a parabolic mirror to the sky, and igniting a flame that will travel thousands of miles to light up the world’s biggest winter sports party. No, this isn’t a scene from a fantasy novelāit’s the very real, utterly mesmerizing ceremony that kicks off every Winter Olympics.
Ancient Roots, Modern Spectacle
The Olympic flame-lighting ceremony takes place at the birthplace of the ancient Games: Olympia, Greece. Every two years, whether it’s for the Summer or Winter Olympics, the ritual remains the same. A group of women dressed as ancient Greek priestesses performs an elaborate, choreographed ceremony at the Temple of Hera, which dates back to approximately 600 BCE. The high priestess uses a parabolic mirrorāessentially a curved, highly polished surfaceāto focus the sun’s rays onto a torch, creating fire the old-fashioned way.
This isn’t just theatrical flair. The International Olympic Committee insists on this specific method because it symbolizes purity and the connection between ancient and modern Games. The ceremony was first introduced for the 1936 Berlin Olympics and has been a fixture ever since. For the Winter Olympics specifically, the flame is lit several months before the Games begin, giving organizers time to plan the lengthy torch relay that follows.
When The Sun Doesn’t Cooperate
Here’s where things get interesting: Greece is sunny, but it’s not always sunny. The ceremony is typically scheduled for a specific date months in advance, and Mother Nature doesn’t always play along. So what happens when clouds roll in on ceremony day?
The organizers have a backup plan that’s both practical and slightly controversial. During rehearsals held on sunny days before the official ceremony, they light a “backup flame” using the traditional mirror method. This flame is kept burning in a special lantern. If the skies are overcast on the big day, the priestesses go through all the motions of the ceremony, but the torch is secretly lit from the backup flame instead of directly from the sun.
The television cameras, the dignitaries, and most spectators never know the difference. Purists sometimes grumble about the authenticity, but defenders argue that the backup flame still came from the sun originally, just a few days earlier.
The Journey Begins
Once lit, whether by direct sunlight or the backup, the flame begins its relay journey to the host city. For the Winter Olympics held in distant locations like PyeongChang, Beijing, or Salt Lake City, this means the flame travels by plane in specially secured lanterns. The torch relay itself can last several weeks, passing through hundreds of communities before finally arriving at the cauldron for the opening ceremony.
And it all starts with a prayer, a mirror, and hopefully, a sunny day in Greece.