a ceremony in which athletes took an oath of sportsmanship. The first competition, an artistic competition of trumpeters and heralds, concluded the opening festivities. Opening The Olympic opening ceremony represents the official commencement of an Olympic Games. In recent Olympics, some competition has begun prior to the opening ceremony. For example, the football competitions for both men and women at the 2008 Summer Olympics began two days prior to the opening ceremony. Due to the entry of new events in the Olympic program, common since the 2014 Winter Olympics, some sports have also started before the opening ceremonies. The 2020 Summer Olympics and the 2022 Winter Olympics were the two events had held behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic strict protocols, the latter took place with some invited guests only. As mandated by the Olympic Charter, various elements frame the Opening Ceremony of a celebration of the Olympic Games. Most of these rituals were canonized at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium. Time of day Since the 1996 Summer Olympics, the opening ceremonies have generally been held on a Friday evening. The opening ceremonies were held in the evening for the first time at the 1992 Winter Olympics, albeit on a Saturday. To facilitate a live, prime time broadcast on Friday night in the Americas, the 1988 Summer Olympics opening ceremony in Seoul, South Korea was held in the morning local time, a move that faced criticism from athletes due to the excessive heat. Generally, no competition is scheduled on the day of the opening ceremony; between 1992 and 2021, this practice was codified in the Olympic Charter; however, some certain events like rowing preliminaries were held earlier in the morning on the opening day of the 2020 Summer Olympics. The last opening ceremony held during the daytime hours was that of the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan; the scheduling was chosen for logistical reasons connected to its grand finale, which featured a live, synchronized performance by five international choirs, linked to the ceremony venue via satellite. Artistic program The artistic program is what creates the idiosyncratic element of each ceremony. Coubertin's initial vision of the Modern Olympics featured both athletic competitions and artistic achievements. As the modern Olympics have evolved into a celebration of sport, it is in the opening ceremony that one can see the most of Coubertin's ideal. The opening ceremony are an