The nine stripes represent the nine syllables of the war cry of independence. Eleutheria i Thanatos (Freedom or Death). The blue stands for the pure Greek sky and recalls that God inspired the Greek people to fight for independence in spite of all the odds. The white symbolizes the purity and sacred character of the stuggle for liberation from Turkish tyranny.
Flag Date of Adoption
1832
Flag Symbolism
nine equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white; there is a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white cross; the cross symbolizes Greek Orthodoxy, the established religion of the country