nPosted October 27, 2017
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nThe flag of Greece is one of the most stand-out flags in the world, I think. That’s partly because Greece kept the color story simple – just blue and white – and partly because there is a lot going on pattern-wise – the horizontal stripes plus the simple cross in the corner.
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Let’s face it, just avoiding the common three-stripes / three-color (tricolor) flags makes a flag a bit of a stand out!
Let’s face it, just avoiding the common three-stripes / three-color (tricolor) flags makes a flag a bit of a stand out!
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nUsually there is a story behind the colors and patterns on a flag, and in the case of the Greek flag, the story goes something like this:
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nWhite and blue stand for the white clouds in the blue sky plus the white foam flecking the blue sea.
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| I always think of Greek buildings as being white and blue, as well – although there are other colors used in some places, of course! |
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nThe nine stripes are said to stand for the syllables of the words “Freedom or death.” I know that phrase is just four syllables long – but of course we mean the Greek translation of the phrase! And I assure you that it is nine syllables!
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nΈλευθερία ή Θάνατος
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I’d say that you can count for yourself, but you probably don’t know the Greek alphabet, nor the Greek language, so you probably want to take my word for it.
I’d say that you can count for yourself, but you probably don’t know the Greek alphabet, nor the Greek language, so you probably want to take my word for it.
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nAnother possible explanation for the nine stripes is that, in Ancient Greek mythology, there are nine Muses of literature, science, and arts:
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nCalliope – goddess of epic poetry
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nClio – goddess of history
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nEuterpe – goddess of music, song, and lyric poetry
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nErato – goddess of love poetry
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nMelpomene – goddess of tragedy
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nPolyhymnia – goddess of hymns
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nTerpsichore – goddess of dance
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nThalia – goddess of comedy
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nUrania – goddess of science
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nThe cross in the corner of the flag stands for the Eastern Orthodox Christian church.
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nAlso on this date:
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nIndependence Day in St. Vincent and the Grenadines
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nAnniversary of the first U.S. expedition to observe a solar eclipse
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nGood Bear Day
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nPresident Teddy Roosevelt’s birthday
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nThree-Z Day in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
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nWorld Day for Audiovisual Heritage
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nComic book illustrator Jan Duursema’s birthday
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Frankenstein Friday
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Frankenstein Friday
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nPlan ahead:
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nCheck out my Pinterest boards for:
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- October holidays
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nAnd here are my Pinterest boards for:
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nNovember holidays
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nNovember birthdays
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nHistorical anniversaries in November
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