User:Ssolbergj/sandbox5

Symbols

Main article: Symbols of Europe

Europa and the bull, depicted as the personification of Europe in a map by Dutch cartographer Fredericus de Wit (1700)

The flag of the European Union consists of a circle of 12 golden (yellow) stars on a blue background. The blue represents the west, the number of stars represents completeness while their position in a circle represents unity. The stars do not vary according to the members of either organisation as they are intended to represent all the peoples of Europe, even those outside European integration. The flag was originally designed by Arsène Heitz and Paul M. G. Lévy in 1955 for the Council of Europe. In 1985 the EU, which was then the European Economic Community (EEC), adopted it as its own flag.

United in Diversity has been the motto of the Union year 2000, when it was adopted following a contest where it was selected from entries proposed by school pupils and then accepted by the President of the European Parliament, Nicole Fontaine.

"Europe Day" is a celebration held annually on 9 May; the date of the "Schuman Declaration" which proposed to pool the French and West German coal and steel industries. This is considered a founding moment for what is now the EU and was adopted as its flag day in 1985.

The Anthem of Europe is based on the prelude to "The Ode to Joy", 4th movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. It is an instrumental version only, with the original German lyrics having no official status. The anthem was adopted by European Community leaders in 1985. It is played on official occasions by both the Council of Europe and the European Union.

In addition to naming the continent, the Greek mythological character of Europa has frequently been employed by artists as a personification of the Europe. Known from the myth in which Zeus seduced her in the guise of a white bull, Europa has also been alluded to in relation to the modern European Union. Statues of Europa and the bull decorate several of the Union's institutions, as well as the Euro banknotes. The bull does for its part adorn the top-left corner of all European Union residence permit cards.

Holy Roman Emperor Charles the Great (reigning c. 742 – 814) was the founder of the French and German monarchies. Known as Pater Europae («Father of Europe»), he established an empire that represented the most expansive European unification since the Roman era and brught about a renaissance that formed a common identity whilst marking the end of the Dark Ages. For many centuries, European royal houses sought to associate themselves with the Carolingian heritage. The crowns of the Holy Roman Empire and Napoleon Bonaparte were for instance both respectively named "The Crown of Charlemagne", and Charlemagne's personal sword, Joyeuse, served as a coronation sword for French kings for many centuries. Today, the symbolism of Charlemagne attributes to his embodiment of Franco-German relations, which are indispensable for European integration. The Commission has named one of its central buildings in Brussels after Charlemagne, and the German city of Aachen has since 1949 annually awarded the Charlemagne Prize to champions of European unity.

Religious symbols of Europe and its integration include Saint Benedict, who in 1964 was named patron saint of Europe by Pope Paul VI, and Saint Hedwig, who in 1997 was canonised as patron saint of European unification by Pope John Paul II.