Esperanto culture
Encyclopedia
The language Esperanto
is often used to access an international culture
, including a large body of original as well as translated literature
. There are over 25,000 Esperanto books (originals and translations) as well as over a hundred regularly distributed Esperanto magazines. Many Esperanto speakers use the language for free travel throughout the world using the Pasporta Servo
. Others like the idea of having pen pal
s in many countries around the world using services like the Esperanto Pen Pal Service. Every year, Esperanto speakers meet for the World Congress of Esperanto
(Universala Kongreso de Esperanto). These attract around 1500-3000 speakers, and the best-attended conferences are regularly those held in Central
or Eastern Europe
, close to the birthplace of Esperanto (see statistics at World Congress of Esperanto
).
. Also, many Esperanto newspapers and magazines exist.
Monato
is a general news magazine "like a genuinely international Time
or Newsweek
", but written by local correspondents. A magazine for the blind, Aŭroro, has been published since 1920.
Esperanto can be heard in television and radio broadcasts and on the internet. There are currently radio broadcasts from China Radio International
, Melbourne Ethnic Community Radio, Radio Habana Cuba, Radio Audizioni Italiane
(Rai), Radio Polonia
, and Radio Vatican. Internacia Televido
, an internet television channel, began broadcasting in November 2005.
Historically most of the music
published in Esperanto has been in various folk traditions; in recent decades more rock and other modern genres has appeared.
In 1964, Jacques-Louis Mahé produced the first full-length feature film in Esperanto, entitled Angoroj
. This was followed in 1965 by the first American Esperanto-production: Incubus
, starring William Shatner
. Several shorter films
have been produced since. , the Esperanto-language Wikipedia lists 14 films and 3 short films.
To some extent there are also shared tradition
s, like the Zamenhof Day
, and shared behaviour patterns, like avoiding the usage of one's national language at Esperanto meetings unless there are good reasons for its use (Esperanto culture has a special word, krokodili ("to crocodile"), to describe this avoided behaviour). On the other hand, it has been said that some aspects of shared traditions normally found in cultural communities, like clothing and cooking, aren't found in the Esperanto community. Not everyone would agree. Like other people, Esperanto speakers who are interested in cookery exchange and share recipes, both their own creations and their national and regional dishes. Various collections of such recipes have been published in book form in Esperanto, e.g. Internacie kuiri (“Cooking Internationally”) by Maria Becker-Meisberger, published by FEL (Flemish Esperanto League), Antwerp 1989, ISBN 90-71205-34-7, Manĝoj el sanigaj plantoj (“Healthy Vegetable Dishes”) by Zlata Nanić, published by BIO-ZRNO, Zagreb 2002, ISBN 953-97664-5-1. Sometimes at Esperanto gatherings, such original dishes as those devised by Zlatka Nanić can be sampled. Some Esperanto periodicals, such as MONATO include cookery items from time to time. As regards clothing, at every Universala Kongreso, held every year in a different country, many of those attending can been seen wearing their national or regional costumes.
On December 15 (L. L. Zamenhof's
birthday), Esperanto speakers around the world celebrate Zamenhof Day
, sometimes relabelled Esperanto Book Day.
The poem La Espero
is generally considered to be the Esperanto anthem
. It speaks of the achievement of world peace, "sacred harmony" and "eternal blessing" on the basis of a neutral language. Nonetheless Esperanto speakers may or may not agree whether the stated benefits could in fact be achieved in this way. At the first Esperanto congress, in Boulogne-sur-Mer
in 1905, a declaration was made which defined an "Esperantist" merely as one who knows and uses the language "regardless of what kind of aims he uses it for", and which also specifically declared any ideal beyond the spread of the language itself to be a private matter for the individual speaker.
Esperanto
is the most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Its name derives from Doktoro Esperanto , the pseudonym under which L. L. Zamenhof published the first book detailing Esperanto, the Unua Libro, in 1887...
is often used to access an international culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
, including a large body of original as well as translated literature
Esperanto literature
Esperanto literature began before the official publication of the constructed language Esperanto; the language's creator, L. L. Zamenhof, translated poetry and prose into the language as he was developing it as a test of its completeness and expressiveness, and published several translations and a...
. There are over 25,000 Esperanto books (originals and translations) as well as over a hundred regularly distributed Esperanto magazines. Many Esperanto speakers use the language for free travel throughout the world using the Pasporta Servo
Pasporta Servo
The Pasporta Servo is a hospitality service for Esperantists. The service publishes a directory of people from countries on every continent who are willing to host other Esperanto speakers in their homes for free...
. Others like the idea of having pen pal
Pen pal
Pen pals are people who regularly write to each other, particularly via postal mail.-Purposes:A penpal relationship is often used to practice reading and writing in a foreign language, to improve literacy, to learn more about other countries and life-styles, and to make friendships...
s in many countries around the world using services like the Esperanto Pen Pal Service. Every year, Esperanto speakers meet for the World Congress of Esperanto
World Congress of Esperanto
The World Congress of Esperanto has the longest tradition among international Esperanto conventions, with an almost unbroken run of more than a hundred years. The congresses have been held since 1905 every year, except during World Wars I and II...
(Universala Kongreso de Esperanto). These attract around 1500-3000 speakers, and the best-attended conferences are regularly those held in Central
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
or Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
, close to the birthplace of Esperanto (see statistics at World Congress of Esperanto
World Congress of Esperanto
The World Congress of Esperanto has the longest tradition among international Esperanto conventions, with an almost unbroken run of more than a hundred years. The congresses have been held since 1905 every year, except during World Wars I and II...
).
Literature, music and film
Every year, hundreds of new titles are published in Esperanto along with musicEsperanto music
Esperanto music is music written, recorded, and performed in Esperanto, a constructed language used for international communication.-Classical music:...
. Also, many Esperanto newspapers and magazines exist.
Monato
Monato
Monato is a monthly magazine produced in Esperanto which carries articles on politics, culture and economics. It is printed in Belgium and distributed to readers in 65 countries. The title simply means "month"....
is a general news magazine "like a genuinely international Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
or Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
", but written by local correspondents. A magazine for the blind, Aŭroro, has been published since 1920.
Esperanto can be heard in television and radio broadcasts and on the internet. There are currently radio broadcasts from China Radio International
China Radio International
China Radio International , the former Radio Beijing and originally Radio Peking, founded on December 3 of 1941, is one of the three state-owned media in China along with China National Radio and China Central Television in the People's Republic of China .As the PRC's external radio station, CRI...
, Melbourne Ethnic Community Radio, Radio Habana Cuba, Radio Audizioni Italiane
RAI
RAI — Radiotelevisione italiana S.p.A. known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane, is the Italian state owned public service broadcaster controlled by the Ministry of Economic Development. Rai is the biggest television company in Italy...
(Rai), Radio Polonia
Radio Polonia
Polish Radio External Service is the official international broadcasting station of Poland.Polish Radio External Service is a part of Poland’s public radio network - Polish Radio. Its aim is to broadcast programs on developments in Poland, Polish foreign policy, the economy, business and foreign...
, and Radio Vatican. Internacia Televido
Internacia Televido
Internacia Televido was an internet-based Esperanto-language television station, launched on 5 November 2005 by the Ĝangalo news site from São Paulo, Brazil. A 24-hour streaming service funded primarily by viewer donations, the station ceased operation in August 2006....
, an internet television channel, began broadcasting in November 2005.
Historically most of the music
Esperanto music
Esperanto music is music written, recorded, and performed in Esperanto, a constructed language used for international communication.-Classical music:...
published in Esperanto has been in various folk traditions; in recent decades more rock and other modern genres has appeared.
In 1964, Jacques-Louis Mahé produced the first full-length feature film in Esperanto, entitled Angoroj
Angoroj
Angoroj was the first feature film to be produced entirely in Esperanto. It was directed and produced by Jacques-Louis Mahé, a friend of Raymond Schwartz who, under the pseudonym 'Lorjak', had previously produced a silent Esperanto publicity film before World War II titled Antaŭen! .At the start...
. This was followed in 1965 by the first American Esperanto-production: Incubus
Incubus (1965 film)
Incubus is a 1966 black-and-white American horror film filmed entirely in the constructed language, Esperanto.-Production background:Incubus was directed by Leslie Stevens, creator of The Outer Limits, and stars William Shatner, shortly before he would begin his work on Star Trek...
, starring William Shatner
William Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
. Several shorter films
Esperanto film
- Feature films :There are four feature films known to have been shot exclusively in the constructed language Esperanto. Both Angoroj and Incubus were shot in the 1960s, and both were long thought lost until recent restorations. Two more Esperanto films have been produced recently."Angoroj" was...
have been produced since. , the Esperanto-language Wikipedia lists 14 films and 3 short films.
Cultural community
There are cultural commonalities between Esperanto speakers, which is a distinctive feature of a cultural community. Esperanto was created to foster universal understanding, solidarity and peace. A large proportion of the Esperanto movement continue to hold such goals, and most are at least sympathetic to them. Additionally, many Esperantists use the language as a window to the larger world, to meet people from other countries on an equal footing, and for travel. The Esperanto-community has a certain set of shared background knowledge.To some extent there are also shared tradition
Tradition
A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
s, like the Zamenhof Day
Zamenhof Day
Zamenhof Day , also called Esperanto Day, is celebrated on 15 December, the birthday of Esperanto creator L. L. Zamenhof...
, and shared behaviour patterns, like avoiding the usage of one's national language at Esperanto meetings unless there are good reasons for its use (Esperanto culture has a special word, krokodili ("to crocodile"), to describe this avoided behaviour). On the other hand, it has been said that some aspects of shared traditions normally found in cultural communities, like clothing and cooking, aren't found in the Esperanto community. Not everyone would agree. Like other people, Esperanto speakers who are interested in cookery exchange and share recipes, both their own creations and their national and regional dishes. Various collections of such recipes have been published in book form in Esperanto, e.g. Internacie kuiri (“Cooking Internationally”) by Maria Becker-Meisberger, published by FEL (Flemish Esperanto League), Antwerp 1989, ISBN 90-71205-34-7, Manĝoj el sanigaj plantoj (“Healthy Vegetable Dishes”) by Zlata Nanić, published by BIO-ZRNO, Zagreb 2002, ISBN 953-97664-5-1. Sometimes at Esperanto gatherings, such original dishes as those devised by Zlatka Nanić can be sampled. Some Esperanto periodicals, such as MONATO include cookery items from time to time. As regards clothing, at every Universala Kongreso, held every year in a different country, many of those attending can been seen wearing their national or regional costumes.
On December 15 (L. L. Zamenhof's
L. L. Zamenhof
Ludwig Lazarus Zamenhof December 15, 1859 – April 14, 1917) was the inventor of Esperanto, the most successful constructed language designed for international communication.-Cultural background:...
birthday), Esperanto speakers around the world celebrate Zamenhof Day
Zamenhof Day
Zamenhof Day , also called Esperanto Day, is celebrated on 15 December, the birthday of Esperanto creator L. L. Zamenhof...
, sometimes relabelled Esperanto Book Day.
The poem La Espero
La Espero
"La Espero" is a poem written by L. L. Zamenhof , the initiator of the Esperanto language. The song is often used as the anthem of Esperanto, and is now usually sung to a triumphal march composed by Félicien Menu de Ménil...
is generally considered to be the Esperanto anthem
Anthem
The term anthem means either a specific form of Anglican church music , or more generally, a song of celebration, usually acting as a symbol for a distinct group of people, as in the term "national anthem" or "sports anthem".-Etymology:The word is derived from the Greek via Old English , a word...
. It speaks of the achievement of world peace, "sacred harmony" and "eternal blessing" on the basis of a neutral language. Nonetheless Esperanto speakers may or may not agree whether the stated benefits could in fact be achieved in this way. At the first Esperanto congress, in Boulogne-sur-Mer
Boulogne-sur-Mer
-Road:* Metropolitan bus services are operated by the TCRB* Coach services to Calais and Dunkerque* A16 motorway-Rail:* The main railway station is Gare de Boulogne-Ville and located in the south of the city....
in 1905, a declaration was made which defined an "Esperantist" merely as one who knows and uses the language "regardless of what kind of aims he uses it for", and which also specifically declared any ideal beyond the spread of the language itself to be a private matter for the individual speaker.
External links
- Esperanto Kaj Turismo
- Esperanto-USA's Esperanto Day page
- Jacques-Louis Mahé
- Generator for Esperanto typographical filler text
- esperanto-panorama.net: Radio in Esperanto
- Melbourne Ethnic Community Radio program with Esperanto entry
- Propono por la tago de Esperanto-libro kaj Zamenhof-festo
- Esperanto website from Spain
- Esperanto version of Le Monde diplomatiqueLe Monde diplomatiqueLe Monde diplomatique is a monthly newspaper offering analysis and opinion on politics, culture, and current affairs. It was first created mainly for a diplomatic audience as its name implies...