When I hear that Esperanto has its own culture, it seems ridiculous to me. Firstly, doesn't that somewhat defeat the purpose of unifying all natural cultures? And secondly, I have not seen any proof that Esperanto has its own culture, since it's a language and not a whole nation. Its only visible trace of cultural independence is the green flag.

So...think about it.

When people speak of "Esperanto Culture" they're talking about the kind of thing in this article.

If you define culture as specifically that which only a nation can have, then obviously Esperanto has no culture. Personally I wouldn't define away the question like that.

Actually I was referring to national culture rather than pop culture, but thanks for clearing that up anyway. I'm still wondering how to celebrate Zamenhof Day...bake him a cake, maybe?

Kraughne:When I hear that Esperanto has its own culture, it seems ridiculous to me..Its only visible trace of cultural independence is the green flag.

I take it that you agree that hymns such as La Espero are a part of E-o culture.

But it is true that E-o culture is largely literary, because it originated in the creation of a language in an already highly literate society. So there's poetry such as William Auld's La infana raso and fictional prose such as Rossetti's Kredu Min, Sinjorino!.

You may find the website of Don Harlow interesting, and also the many works used in Boris Kolker's Vojaĝo en Esperanto-lando.

A common way to celebrate Zamenhof day is to buy an Esperanto book. But baking a cake is a good idea. You may find it worthwhile to find out whether there is an E-o club in your area. That way you will have a chance to meet other speakers, and I imagine that your cake should smooth the way nicely!

Most Esperanto clubs have a banquet for Zamenhof Day. This is usually referred to as a "Zamenhof-bankedo". The banquets usually feature the reading of poetry or speeches, and "La Espero" is frequently sung.

But to me, Esperanto culture isn't really about the banquets or the pop music. It's true that we have a shared literary heritage, we have our own set of proverbs, some of which are well-known. There are certain literary allusions that would be recognized by anyone who is tuned in to the movement. But to me it's more about a shared set of assumptions and a common worldview. Namely, Esperanto speakers believe in international and intercultural understanding. They are interested in learning about the cultures and traditions of others. New Esperanto speakers that you meet are treated like new friends; or if they visit your Esperanto club, they are treated as honored guests.

The Esperanto community has a strong tradition of hospitality to guests. This goes beyond Pasporta Servo. More than once, I have received phone calls asking me to host foreign Esperanto speakers in my home, on short notice. It's something that I say "yes" to without thinking. The answer wouldn't necessarily be "yes" if it wasn't an Esperanto speaker, but a simple friend of a friend. It's simply a culture of making people feel welcome when they are visiting your city or country. I feel completely comfortable contacting Esperanto speakers in foreign cities to ask about meeting up with them, and I have met up with foreign Esperanto speakers to show them around US cities, on numerous occasions. It's nearly like having a distant relative. You don't know this person at all, but you are willing to go out of your way to do something nice for them. We are a small community and we must support each other.

erinja:But to me it's more about a shared set of assumptions and a common worldview. Namely, Esperanto speakers believe in international and intercultural understanding. They are interested in learning about the cultures and traditions of others. New Esperanto speakers that you meet are treated like new friends; or if they visit your Esperanto club, they are treated as honored guests.

The Esperanto community has a strong tradition of hospitality to guests. This goes beyond Pasporta Servo. More than once, I have received phone calls asking me to host foreign Esperanto speakers in my home, on short notice. It's something that I say "yes" to without thinking. The answer wouldn't necessarily be "yes" if it wasn't an Esperanto speaker, but a simple friend of a friend. It's simply a culture of making people feel welcome when they are visiting your city or country. I feel completely comfortable contacting Esperanto speakers in foreign cities to ask about meeting up with them, and I have met up with foreign Esperanto speakers to show them around US cities, on numerous occasions. It's nearly like having a distant relative. You don't know this person at all, but you are willing to go out of your way to do something nice for them. We are a small community and we must support each other.

Very well stated, Erinja...

And feel free to contact if you ever come to Chile ... You'll be received like a beloved distant relative

(Y verás como quieren en Chile, al amigo cuando es forastero ) *

Amike,

Daniel.

* Part of a traditional chilean song.

Kraughne:When I hear that Esperanto has its own culture, it seems ridiculous to me.

At first, having come to Esperanto after reading Zamenhof's Unua Libro, the idea of Esperanto culture did seem like a contradiction in terms. However, theory and practice are two totally different things

Thinking about what people are really like, I think that the growth of an Esperanto culture (if that is the right word) was inevitable. It is a good thing that it seems to be so welcoming & outward facing, as an isolating culture would put people off and harm Esperanto in the long run.

Guy

Kraughne:Actually I was referring to national culture rather than pop culture,

If you are restricting "culture" to mean "national culture", then yes, trivially there is no Esperanto culture. But that seems unduly restrictive and pointless. By that very narrow definition, there is also no Christian culture, no boardgame culture, no Linux culture, no online culture, no film buff culture, no literary culture, no skiing culture, no... Do you believe none of those cultures exist either?

Yet by every definition of culture I've ever heard, all those groups and activities clearly have cultures. Definitions of culture generally include things like:
1. Self-identification (do the group members themselves have some sense of identity as Christians, boardgamers, etc?)
2. Activities or beliefs specific to them
3. Specific knowledge and traditions that are common to most members, but less familiar or totally unfamiliar to outsiders.
By most definitions of culture, there certainly exists Esperanto culture. Indeed there are books and articles that document it, showing its existence according to the same criteria by which there exist other non-national cultures (Christian, boardgaming, Linux, whatever).