Summer Olympics Begin in Paris with Big Party and Famous Singers

July 26th, 2024

In a captivating blend of innovation and tradition, the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris marked an extraordinary start to the games. Despite a gloomy day and challenges to the nation's transportation system, the French capital came alive with an enchanting procession along the iconic Seine River. French football icon Zinedine Zidane had the honor of initiating the event with the Olympic flame, a spectacle augmented by the digital magic of pre-recorded segments transitioning into live action. The ceremony featured an intriguing torch bearer whose attire paid homage to characters from French culture, illustrating the potent influence of video games like "Assassin’s Creed" on contemporary storytelling. The program included a surprising and not previously announced performance by Lady Gaga, who sang with the backdrop of the Seine. This set the stage for a variety of acts that integrated France's vast artistic landscape. Philippe Katerine, adopting the persona of Greek god Dionysus, delivered a performance that merged mythical storytelling with commentary on the absurdity of human conflict. The Horsewoman, emblematic of the Olympic spirit and the nymph Sequana, galloped across the Seine, imbuing the ceremony with a message of peace, while a procession of boats carrying jubilant athletes weaved below Paris's historic bridges. Musical interludes spanned genres and generations, showcasing France’s diverse talent. Opera intertwined with death metal, French Malian beats melded with military orchestras, and the national anthem resonated with heartfelt emotion. Notably, the ceremony was a momentous occasion for Celine Dion, who, overcoming recent health adversities, returned almost 30 years after her Atlanta 1996 performance to deliver Edith Piaf's "Hymn to Love" under the glowing Eiffel Tower. In addition to the vibrant floats and musical acts, legendary athletes, including Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal, and the centenarian Charles Coste, bore the Olympic flame in a series of memorable visuals that led up to the lighting of the Olympic cauldron. The ceremony's grand tapestry exemplified the Olympic ideals of unity and celebration, reminding the world of the power of sport and culture in bringing people together. For further information and ongoing coverage of the Paris Olympics, one can explore the available resources and live reporting.

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💭 Discussion Questions

. In what ways did the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris combine elements of innovation with traditional French culture?

. How did the performances at the ceremony reflect the diversity of France's artistic heritage?

. Explain the significance of Celine Dion's performance at the Paris Olympics, considering her personal journey and previous Olympic experiences.

📖 Vocabulary

🌐 Cultural context

Cultural context: The Summer Olympics in Paris, a city known for its deep cultural heritage, are blending modern French contributions like video games and diverse musical styles with historical and global traditions.

🧠 Further reading

List of films based on video games

The realm of cinema has seen a myriad amount of adaptations from the gaming industry, spanning across various forms such as local, national, international releases, direct-to-video, television, and at times, online streaming platforms. These adaptations come from a multitude of languages, primarily English, Japanese, and Mandarin/Cantonese, with categories branching into live-action and animated films, both current and forthcoming. Moreover, numerous short films, documentaries, and movies where video game narratives are crucial, like "Tron" and "WarGames", have become part of this inclusive genre. In these adaptations, one can see a translation of interactive gaming experiences onto the big screen, where the original game publishers are sometimes represented differently due to changes over time. The assessments of these films are varied, with evaluation scores from sources like Rotten Tomatoes, and their financial aspects such as production budget and box office revenues are also noted. Focusing on specific titles, "Tron" depicts an arcade game developer trapped inside his own digital creation, fighting to return to reality, while "WarGames" tells the story of a computer hacker inadvertently embroiled in a national security threat. Other notable inclusions are short films directly linked to the gaming franchises, and documentaries focusing on video games as a subject matter. With this ongoing cultural exchange between gaming and film, audiences are provided with a diverse catalogue of narratives that bridge the gap between the digital and cinematic worlds.

Public holidays in the United States

In the United States, public holidays come with varying degrees of observance, depending on whether they are set by the federal government, state governments, or local authorities. While government offices usually close and government employees are often given paid leave, private businesses are not mandated to follow suit. Consequently, each employer decides independently which holidays to acknowledge with closures or paid leave. Among the federal holidays, certain days such as New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are commonly recognized by private businesses, which may offer paid time off. Other days, like New Year's Eve, Christmas Eve, and the day following Thanksgiving, are popular times for businesses to close, although they are not officially federal holidays. Many businesses also align federal holidays with weekends, typically celebrating them on Mondays or Fridays to extend the time off into a three-day weekend. Interestingly, Christmas stands out as the only federal holiday with religious connotations officially recognized by the U.S. government. Some businesses accommodate their employees' religious practices by allowing paid days off for other religious observances, but this is not a widespread legal requirement. There are also celebrations such as Halloween and Valentine's Day that are culturally significant across the country, yet they rarely come with the benefit of a paid break from work. The framework for public holidays in the U.S. is decentralized. No nationwide legislation compels all businesses to shut down during federal holidays; these affect mainly federally run and regulated services and institutions, along with contractors and entities in Washington, D.C. States have the prerogative to establish additional holidays, which may not be recognized on the federal level, including days to commemorate the history and milestones of the individual states. Since the dawn of the new millennium, some local and state governments have initiated holidays such as Malcolm X Day and Rosa Parks Day, contributing to the diverse tapestry of public observances across the United States. These variations underscore the complex interplay between levels of government in the U.S. and the

2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony

The Beijing National Stadium, known colloquially as the Bird's Nest, staged an exuberant spectacle to commence the 2008 Summer Olympics on the 8th of August at 8 PM, a time chosen for its auspicious associations with prosperity and confidence in Chinese tradition. With a packed venue of 91,000 attendees, the event unfolded under the choreography of Zhang Yimou, a filmmaker renowned in China, alongside his colleagues Zhang Jigang and Chen Weiya. Chen Qigang orchestrated the musical ambiance of the ceremony with finesse. The ceremony's elaborate performance, divided into 'Brilliant Civilization' and 'Glorious Era,' navigated through China's illustrious past and its visions for a harmonious global future. The program also garnered attention for its integration of weather modification technology, ensuring a rain-free event, while the climactic torch lighting featured the famous gymnast Li Ning in a stunning aerial display. Spanning more than four hours and involving over 15,000 performers, the ceremony was an unprecedented showcase of creativity and technical prowess, with an estimated production cost exceeding $100 million. The display left an indelible mark on audiences and press alike, claiming its place in history as a momentous branding endeavor for China and arguably the most magnificent Olympic inauguration observed to date. Since its occurrence, the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony has come to embody not just a milestone in Olympic pageantry but also a defining event in signaling China's symbolic emergence on the world stage.