-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The torch for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics was lit in a ceremony at the ancient Greek site of Olympia on Thursday , less than four months ahead of the games ' opening ceremony . Actress Maria Nafpliotou , as a high priestess , lights the flame for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics on Thursday . The torch will be carried on an eight-day trip through Greece , the birthplace of the Olympics , before being transported to Canada for what will be the longest domestic torch relay in the games ' history , officials said . Women dressed in white togas performed a ceremony on the green hillside at Olympia , the home of the Olympic flame and the place where the ancient Olympics took place . A woman playing the role of a high priestess lit the flame by sunlight focused on a mirror , the only way by tradition it can be lit . That fire then was used to light the Vancouver Olympic Torch , which Greek skier and three-time Olympian Vassilis Dimitriadis then carried on the first leg of its journey through Greece . `` The Olympic torch and flame are the symbols of the values and ideals which lie at the heart of the Olympic Games , '' International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge said before the ceremony . The torch will carry a message of peace throughout the world , he said -- words echoed by Vancouver 2010 Chief Executive John Furlong . `` Today we build a bridge between ancient Olympia and young Canada , '' he said . `` Canada is a country with a welcoming spirit and a glowing heart . ... We will do all we can to be a shining example of the ideas and values that were first kindled here in this hallowed place . '' After its 1,351-mile -LRB- 2,180-kilometer -RRB- trip through Greece , the torch will be taken to Canada . On October 30 , the first of 12,000 torchbearers will begin carrying it through Canada on what will be a 106-day , 27,900-mile -LRB- 45,000-kilometer -RRB- relay . `` It will be the longest domestic relay in Olympic history , just to be sure every Canadian will be given the right to dream and celebrate , '' Furlong said . The torch relay is derived from ancient rituals in Olympia , where torch and relay races were popular festival events and where heralds traveled throughout Greece to announce the games . The torch for the 2010 Winter Games was designed by transportation and aerospace company Bombardier , a Vancouver Olympic sponsor . The lean curves of the white torch were inspired by the lines carved in the snow by winter sports and by the `` undulating beauty of the Canadian landscape , '' the company said . The torch 's special construction will allow it to burn through a range of winter weather , including snow , rain , sleet , wind and subzero temperatures , Bombardier said . It weighs 3.5 pounds -LRB- 1.6 kilograms -RRB- fully fueled , the company said . The flame is due to arrive in Vancouver , British Columbia , on February 12 when the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Games will be held at the domed BC Place Stadium .