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On the island of Crete in Greece on July 22, an olive branch was cut from the Monumental Olive Tree of Vouves for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. The wreath cut­ting cer­e­mony was accom­pa­nied by an ancient dance ritual and the singing of the Olympic Hymn and the national anthems of Greece and the Olympic host coun­try, Brazil.

Branches from the Monumental Olive Tree of Vouves have been used in cer­e­monies at each summer Olympics since the Athens Games in 2004. This ancient tree was selected for the sym­bolic honor because of its mon­u­men­tal status and advanced age, which is esti­mated at approx­i­mately 3,000 years, if not more. Locals believe it to be the oldest olive tree in the world, but its hollow trunk makes exact dating impos­si­ble.

The event was spon­sored by the town of Vouves and the Municipality of Platanias, which includes the town. It was attended by Platanias Mayor Ioannis Malandrakis, other dig­ni­taries from Crete, and scores of addi­tional spec­ta­tors. The mayor explained to Olive Oil Times that the ceremony’s singers and dancers were mem­bers of the Pelasgians, a local ath­let­ics asso­ci­a­tion.
See more: Millennial Olive Trees
Although Mayor Malandrakis was unable to tell Olive Oil Times whether the olive branch would be made into wreaths to crown Olympic win­ners, as in ancient times,
Zarpa News reports that he empha­sized the impor­tance of the sym­bolic use of the olive branch in the open­ing cer­e­mony of the Olympics.

Mayor Malandrakis com­mented, “Beyond the sym­bol­ism that emerges from today’s cer­e­mony, we send a mes­sage of peace from here, Vouves in Platanias, across the world, with the sacred symbol of the olive that our Greek ath­letes will hold, accom­pa­ny­ing the Greek flag when they enter … as the first national del­e­ga­tion in the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, during the open­ing cer­e­mony of the Games. This is a mes­sage that is par­tic­u­larly impor­tant in today’s highly tur­bu­lent times.”

Mayor Malandrakis read greet­ings sent by the Brazilian Ambassador to Greece, Edgart Antonio Casciano, con­vey­ing his hap­pi­ness about the event, wish­ing Greek ath­letes suc­cess in the Games, and invit­ing all Greeks to travel to Brazil so his coun­try can rec­i­p­ro­cate the warm hos­pi­tal­ity the Brazilian ath­letes appre­ci­ated during the Olympic Games in Athens.

The mayor deliv­ered the olive branch to the head of the Hellenic Olympic Mission and pres­i­dent of the International Olympic Academy, Isidoros Kouvelos, at the Eleftherios Venizelos Airport in Athens just before he and the Greek ath­letes departed for Rio de Janeiro on July 28.

Receiving the olive branch, Kouvelos com­mented, “As the Olympic flame trav­els the con­ti­nents before trig­ger­ing the start of the games, so the olive branch of this ancient mon­u­men­tal olive tree of Vouves in Platanias, on its fourth Olympic trip, con­veys a uni­ver­sal mes­sage.”

• Zarpa News


• The Monumental Olive Tree of Vouves


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