NATIONAL CULTURE AND EUROPEAN CULTURE

National culture is to preserve, develop and cultivate the history and language, the specific traits of being a nation. National collectivities have the main feature of their work: language, myth, religion, history, art and science. Nations aim to expand its borders to the limit covered by their culture, and patriotism is closely linked to knowledge and enrich the national culture. Any original national culture is that apparently it is secluded and dark, but any national culture is subject to transformation by taking elements from other cultures. It enriches and develops permanent material combining the past with new values. National specifics layer has its roots in ethnic culture, but the trunk and crown are the major culture that is the foundation of modernity. The transition from archaic to modern is actually a switch to a different set of values and criteria of appreciation of life. Although it is an ideal project, any value has a physical medium: opera, image, object, behavior, beliefs, rites. National cultural and national symbols representation of images, which oscillates between historical change and inertia. Monarchical and religious symbols have been reconsidered and adapted to the requirements of modern nation. Word-symbol is full of profound messages for public sensitivity: for example, the coronation, Prince Al. I. Cuza was provided by Romanian politicians that he is entrusted with the crown of Michael the Brave and Stephen the Great, he (Prince) represents not an individual but a principle of life of the Romanian nation. Iconic image suggests national values such as freedom, heroism, progress: for example, "Revolutionary Romania" is symbolized by the image of a young look with confidence to the future. This painting, the work of forty-eighters Constantin David Rosenthal, was exposed in Parliament session Roman state proclaimed its independence on May 9, 1877 Romania. Symbols are a basic component of the national collectivity. National costumes, architecture or configuration of housing settlements are defining features of national identity. National port is everywhere a national symbol, using as a model peasant pieces from the port. The value of national dress port appears Romanian peasant in a letter to Elena Cuza Alecsandri's, dated in February 1859, by which the poet asks it to embroider one for the French Empress, arguing that it likes Romanian national costume. Names given places, towns, streets, monuments, and they materialize national pantheon. The flag, emblem, national anthem, honors the nation, in contrast with other nations, be they friends or enemies. Usually, national anthem lyrics expressed in simple, accessible, offers especially on special occasions, experience a collective emotions. His messages refer to moments of glory and dignity to stimulate national pride, but is also a source of impetus that was to national militancy. Anthem, flag, national holiday raised especially in times of crisis of national identity, behavior and feelings of respect for the homeland and nation.

Public holiday, inclusive, so popular images translate into social and moral model, with the revolutionary moment of birth celebration, she kept the image of modernity throughout the nation free festival presenting itself as a collective unit model. This collective that represents the nation turns into a symbolic performance rich in promises and optimistic face turned towards the future. The national culture has a special place is occupied by "memory places", those areas where historical events took place exceptional. Appropriate places that inspire remembrance of the heroes battle that offers great models of patriotism. Targoviste ruins became the forty-eighters, a center who was assigned a symbolic aura of legendary historical. All the ancient ruins and medieval are living memories of the past, and destruction or ignoring them is considered a sacrilege. Funerary monuments such as the unknown soldier, is an extension of ancestor worship ceremonies and homage to the public around them, invite the public to reliving these exemplary models of heroism. National spirit and patriotism, as part of national culture, can be modeled through education.Democracy presupposes a moral education of the body politic, and this mission should be to return the state, which, through its institutions and mores of a people forming character and inspire love of country.The educational system is one that provides the criterion of rules, common knowledge and common medium roots planted nationalism. Unification of the company by centralizing nation cohesion encouraged education, because school inform the national ideal and ensure maintenance of patriotic cult. School is the institution par excellence national ideology which propagate national, common historical memory, the content of education. In all European nations, birth and education make up the nation's stage. National language, grammars and dictionaries normal, became a cornerstone of the educational process. National awakening has been linked throughout the European area of linguistic reconstruction. Dialects, far from being ignored, were put in storage in the national heritage, the key to a past that is based on national legitimacy. The Culture of Europe might better be described as a series of overlapping cultures of Europe. Whether it be a question of West as opposed to East; Catholicism and Protestantism as opposed to Eastern Orthodoxy; Christianity as opposed to Islam; many have claimed to identify cultural faultlines across the continent. Europe has been a cradle for many cultural innovations and movements, such as Humanism, that have consequently been spread across the globe. The Renaissance of classical ideas influenced the development of art and literature far beyond the confines of the continent. One of the major problems in defining the European culture, is where does Europe start and where does it end ? Most countries share common historical experiences, but several important faultlines appear. The first one is the dividing lands that were occupied at some point by the Roman Empire, thus dividing Europe along a line that goes through Hadrian's Wall in the British Isles, along the Rhine and finally along the Danube. Another faultline is the Catholic-Orthodox divide caused by the Great Schism, which isolates Russia, Belarus, half of Ukraine (whether Uniate Ukraine is considered Orthodox or Catholic is a matter of debate) and Serbia. Yet another faultline

is the one that separates the lands once occupied by the Ottoman Empire and the ones that weren't, which created the current Christian-Islam faultline, that separates Albania, Bosnia and Turkey. Also notable is the faultline that separates the parts of Europe that went through industrialization in the 19th century, including Northern Italy and . And finally, the most recent faultline is the infamous Iron Curtain. These faultlines are key to understanding the cultural similarities and differences in Europe. They are also important for identifying what countries should be admitted into the European Union (such as in the case of Turkey or the 2004 separatist menace in Ukraine). Thus the question of "common culture" or "common values" is far more complex than it seems. A number of symbols of Europe have emerged throughout history. Depending on the symbol, they can apply to Europe as a whole, European unity or to the European Union (EU). Most well known symbols were created by the Council of Europe (CoE) in the 1950s and 1960s, and while these symbols were intended to represent Europe as a whole, many people mistakenly see them as referring to the EU exclusively after their adoption by that organisation. In addition to those of Pan-European identity, the EU has created additional symbols for itself through its integration. In recent decades the European Union has been seeking to identify and support common European values, however this has turned out to be a highly controversial issue. Some commentators wish to classify social cohesion and solidarity as European values and contrast them with more individualist values in the United States. The distinction is not a simple one, but is perhaps most fundamentally reflected in differing attitudes to government, notably in terms of trust in the government. The European Union (EU) is an economic and political union or confederation of 27 member states which are located primarily in Europe.The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and the European Economic Community (EEC), formed by six countries in 1958. In the intervening years the EU has grown in size by the accession of new member states, and in power by the addition of policy areas to its remit. The Maastricht Treaty established the European Union under its current name in 1993. The latest amendment to the constitutional basis of the EU, the Treaty of Lisbon, came into force in 2009. The EU operates through a system of supranational independent institutions and intergovernmental negotiated decisions by the member states. Important institutions of the EU include the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, the European Council, the Court of Justice of the European Union, and the European Central Bank. The European Parliament is elected every five years by EU citizens.

Flag of Europe The flag of Europe is used to represent both the European Union and the Council of Europe. It 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 designed by Arsne Heitz and Paul Lvy in 1955 for the CoE as its symbol, and the CoE urged it to be adopted by other organisations. In 1985 the EU, which was then the European Economic Community (EEC), adopted it as its own flag (having had no flag of its own before) at the initiative of the European Parliament. The flag is not mentioned in the EU's treaties, its incorporation being dropped along with the European Constitution, but it is formally adopted in law. Despite it being the flag of two separate organisations, it is often more associated with the EU, due to the EU's higher profile and heavy usage of the emblem. The flag has also been used to represent Europe in sporting events and as a pro-democracy banner outside the Union. It has partly inspired other flags, such as those of other European organisations and those of states where the EU has been heavily involved (such as Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo).

Europa and the bull In the eighth century, the name of the Greek mythological character Europa was ecclesiastically used for Charlemagne's Carolingian Empire. The name was used as a geographical term also by Ancient Greek cartograpers such as Strabo, but it was the eighth century usage which ultimately lead to it being adopted as the geographical name of the entire continent. According to legend, Zeus was enamored of the Phoenician noble-woman Europa and decided to seduce her. In the guise of a tame white bull, he mixed himself with the herds of Europa's father. While Europa and her female attendants were gathering flowers, she saw the bull, and got onto his back. Zeus took that opportunity and ran to the sea and swam, with her on his back, to the island of Crete. There he revealed his true identity, and Europa became the first queen of Crete. Zeus gave her a necklace made by Hephaestus and three additional gifts: Talos, Laelaps and a javelin that never missed. Zeus later re-created the shape of the white bull in the stars, which is now known as the constellation Taurus. In addition to generally being a frequent motif in European art since GrecoRoman times, the founding myth of Europa and the bull has frequently been alluded to in relation to the continent and by the modern European Union, and can thus be considered not only a piece of toponymy, but also as a symbol, or national personification, of Europe. For instance, statues of Europa and the bull are located outside several of the European Union's institutions, as well as on the Greek 2 coin. Europa's name appeared on postage stamps commemorating the Council of Europe, which were first issued in 1956. Furthermore, the dome of the European Parliament's Paul-Henri Spaak building contains a large mosaic by Aligi Sassuportraying the abduction of Europa with other elements of Greek mythology.

The euro and its symbol The euro was not one of the original symbols created by the Council of Europe and is specific to the EU, but it has become a symbol since it replaced 12 national currencies in 2002. It is now used by most EU Member States and hence it (along with its currency symbol) has become one of the most tangible symbols of European unity for citizens of the European Union (though this of course is not intended to apply to wider Europe as the others do). Language is a very important part of culture, and Europe has a widespread variety of languages, with most countries having at least one official language. Russian is the largest language in Europe, followed by German. Many regional languages are also spoken, some enjoying a level of official status or recognition. Other minority languages are also spoken. The diversity on such a small territory is proverbial. The European Union alone uses 20 official languages, which all have the same status. The cost of translation is so high that the official language of the Union is an ongoing debate, since many MEPs are bilingual and most languages have a great level of prestige. Besides football, the most popular spectator sport in Europe, other sports enjoy more localised followings, such as rugby union, rugby league, cricket and ice hockey. The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong European dimension. Preparing a European Capital of Culture can be an opportunity for the city to generate considerable cultural, social and economic benefits and it can help foster urban regeneration, change the city's image and raise its visibility and profile on an international scale.This year, Guimares and Maribor will be the Europeans Capital of Culture.