Olympic Games. Events. Ceremony. Olympic Games ceremonies were an integral part of the Ancient Olympic Games. Some of the elements of the modern ceremonies harken back to the Ancient Games from which the Modern Olympics draw their ancestry. An example of this is the prominence of Greece in both the opening and closing ceremonies. During the 2004 Games, the medal winners received a crown of olive branches, which was a direct reference to the Ancient Games, in which the victor's prize was an olive wreath. The various elements of the ceremonies are mandated by the Olympic Charter and cannot be changed by the host nation. Even the artistic portion of the opening and closing ceremonies must meet the approval of the International Olympic Committee.The ceremonies have evolved over the centuries. Ancient Games incorporated ceremonies to mark the beginning and ending of each successive games. There are both similarities and differences between the ancient Olympic ceremonies and their modern counterparts. While the presentation of the Games has evolved with improvements in technology and the desire of the host nations to showcase their own artistic expression, the basic events of each ceremony have remained unchanged. The presentation of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies continue to increase in scope, scale and expense with each successive celebration of the Games, but they are still steeped in tradition.

The Opening of the Olympics games.The opening ceremonies represent the official commencement of a celebration of the Olympic Games. In recent Olympics though, athletic competition has begun prior to the opening ceremonies. Due to the large field of football teams at the 2008 summer Olympics, the football competitions for both men and women began two days prior (August 6) to the opening ceremonies. As mandated by the Olympic Charter, various elements frame the Opening Ceremonies of a celebration of the Olympic Games. Most of these rituals were canonized at the 1920 summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium.

The Closing of the Olympics games.In contrast to the opening ceremonies, many of the elements of the closing ceremonies are governed more by tradition than official mandate. Usually flag bearers from each participating country enter the stadium in single file, and behind them march all of the athletes without any distinction or grouping by nationality. The blending of all the athletes is a tradition that began during the 1956 summer Olympics at the suggestion of Melbourne schoolboy John Ian Wing, who thought it would be a way of bringing the athletes of the world

together as "one nation." (In 2006, the athletes marched in with their countrymen, then dispersed and mingled as the ceremonies went on.) During the Summer Olympics the medal ceremony for the men's marathon is traditionally held during the closing ceremonies. Where in the program this occurs depends on the wishes of the organizing committee of the respective host city.

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