23 June is observed as Olympic Day worldwide. The Olympic Day is the global celebration of sports and getting active. The day celebrates the foundation of the International Olympic Committee and the revival of the modern olympics games in Paris in 1884. The 33rd Summer Olympics will be held in Paris, France, from 26 July to 11 August 2024.

Background to the Olympic Day

The credit for the idea of an Olympic Day was given to Dr Josef Gruss of Czechoslovakia. At the 41st session of the International Olympic Committee in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1947, Dr Gruss proposed celebrating 23 June as Olympic Day to promote the Olympic Idea.

The 42nd session of the International Olympic Committee, which met at St. Moritz, Switzerland, in 1948, approved the proposal, and the first Olympic Day was celebrated on 23 June 1948.

Significance of 23 June for the Olympic Day

The International Olympic Committee was founded in Paris, France on 23 June 1894. Pierre de Coubertin of France is given credit for the revival of the modern Olympics. Pierre de Coubertin is considered as the father of the modern Olympics.

The first modern Olympics was held in Athens, Greece in 1896.

Theme of the 2024 Olympic Day

The theme of the International Olympics Day 2024 is ‘ Let’s Move and Celebrate.’

According to the International Olympic Committee, the theme aims to encourage people to get active and feel connected through sport.

The International Olympic Committee, in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), launched the Let’s Move initiative last year. It aims to encourage people to include at least 30 minutes of daily activity in their routine to remain healthy and fit.

Values of the Olympic Movement

The values of the Olympic movement have changed over time. In the original Olympic charter, the values of Olympism were “encourage effort,” “preserve human dignity,” and “develop harmony.”

The modern Olympic movement's value systems are excellence, respect, and friendship. These values are the foundation of the Olympic movement, which seeks to promote sport, culture, and education worldwide to build a better world.

Motto of the Olympics

The original motto of the Olympics was Citius - Altius - Fortius. These latin words mean Faster - Higher - Stronger. It was first used by a Dominican priest Henri Didon.

In 2021 the original motto was modified and a new latin word Communiter - Together was added. The present motto of the Olympics in Latin is “Citius, Altius, Fortius – Communiter” or “Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together” in English.

Rings of Olympics

The rings of the Olympics are also the symbol of the Olympics.

The five rings were designed by Pierre de Coubertin in 1913. The five interlinked rings -blue, yellow, black, green and red on a white background represent the five inhabited continents of the Earth- Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe and Oceania.

The rings do not assign any colour to a specific continent. The interlinking of the rings signifies the inclusiveness of the Olympic movement