ETCetera: Europedia, year 11 issue 2

Colophon

ETCETERA

Magazine of Study Association

Esperia

Oude Kijk in ’t Jatstraat 26

9712 EK Groningen

editorcie@svesperia.nl

Copyright © 2024 ‘t Hartje

Korreweg 38

9715 AB Groningen

info@thartje.nl

Lina Amelung

Chair

Wiktoria Pieczara

Secretary

Author

Editorcie 2023-2024

Editors

Lina Amelung

Wiktoria Pieczara

Axel Ribovici

Chiara Barone

Final Editor

Jack Mc Elligott

Chiara Barone

Commissioner of Acquisitions and Promotions

Jack Mc Elligott

Final Editor

Axel Ribovici

Treasurer and Vice-Chair

No part of this publication may be reproduced and/or published by means of printing, photocopying, audio tape, electronically or in any other way, without written permission from the publisher.

Maybe we got lost in translation, maybe I dubbed too much...

Do all Slavs squat?

A Word from the Editorcie

Dear Reader,

Welcome back, we missed you! The days are getting longer, birds are returning, and overall spring seems to be approaching. Before the next exam season comes around, we thought that it would be time to slow down a bit and offer a bit of recreational reading. And what better could there be to do so and celebrate the return of the sun, than a new issue of the ETCetera?

We hope you enjoyed our first edition on ‘Surviving Adulthood’ and could take away some tips and tricks to become a fullyfunctioning adult. But now it’s time to turn the page (pun intended) and move on to another topic that we’re all, one way or another, quite familiar with. In this issue we want to focus on… culture!

Culture is everywhere and for us ELC students possibly even a bit more than for the average person. That is one of the reasons why we thought that it is a quite fitting topic to write about. Everyone has something to contribute and the multicultural make-up of our association almost begs for further investigation. We’ve spoken to different people and done our research to capture as many different cultural perspectives as possible that we can add to our very own ‘Europedia’.

From stereotypes, to Eurovision, to literary masterpieces, what this issue holds in store for you is a wide array of impressions on different European cultures. Hopefully, you can learn something new, reflect on your own culture and, most of all, appreciate the cultural diversity that we tried capturing in this edition.

Once again, we are very excited to hear your thoughts but for now: enjoy!

Love, the Editorcie

A Word from the Board

Dear Esperians,

I hope you all survived the drooly months and are soon getting blessed with weather that is actually weathering. However, the Netherlands will always be very unpredictable, so keep your gloves close and your umbrella closer.

Instead, let’s focus on the more positive things to come. The board is for example so excited to go to Albania in April! The unwritten Esperia rule is that we travel to a European country which we haven’t been to. After 11 years, following that rule it gets a bit tricky, but luckily we still manage to discover new European destinations. Imagine how that will be after 40 years of Esperia existing. Imagine going to Iceland with Esperia, wouldn’t that be a great Lustrum trip?

Travelling is a great way to learn about new cultures, and that’s what ELC and Esperia are all about. See for example what happens when you ask Chiara to put cream in your pasta. Or let her eat an eierbal (Groninger culture). Being in touch with people from other cultures opens your worldview and offers new perspectives. Plus you can take over fun national traditions, as Esperians also love to dance around the May-pole, a tradition practised in Sweden during Midsommar.

So get out there! Travel! Talk! Explore! But until then, while we are not yet in Albania (almost, a little more patience), you can get some helpful insides with this glamorous new edition of the ETCetera. Enjoy reading!

With love,

On behalf of board XI,

Bente Luchtenveld, Chair

“OMG isn't Europe a country?!”: Portrayal of Europe in the Media from Non-European Perspectives.

By Chiara Barone

I feel like we have all seen the trend on TikTok of someone walking around asking random people where a country or city is, and to indicate it on a big map. And I am sure all of us completely lose hope when we realise that the person being interviewed is an American who –90% of the time– does not know the answer. This is especially common if the question is, in any way, related to a country outside the USA. (Sometimes they still answer wrong if it is part of the States. In those cases, there is no actual possibility of recovery. We’ve lost them and there is no coming back. Sorrows and Prayers.)

Now, I don’t want to generalise, and I have nothing against you Americans. But all of this does bring me to this question: how are Europe and its cultures portrayed in the media from an external perspective? Something has to have gone wrong if people think that Europe is a country, and Paris is the capital of Europe, right?!

Let’s unpack this and try to compare a few things. On one side we have a very cute, sugarcoated vision of Europe: lots of countries, lots of cultures, lots of good food (like A LOT), lots of different traditions, lots of languages –and no Karen, we don’t speak “European”. I feel like it is so interesting and particular that in Europe we have a great mixture of cultures, even within a single country. It creates a kind of diversity that I don't think is equal to other parts of the world, especially because some of these coexisting cultures can be very different from each other. This painted version of Europe also shows cooperation, peace, and economic development across the continent, or more simply put: the European Union. As a matter of fact, the EU is probably what most people think first when they imagine Europe. But we know very well that not all European countries are part of it, and the member states varied a lot in the last decade. A lot of them have decided to enter the Union, since its creation in 1993. And someone might have decided to leave. Yes, UK, I am talking about you.

However, this great mixture of cultures also comes with its risks: power supremacy between those cultures, minorities in danger, extinction of smaller cultures that are incorporated in bigger ones, and ignorance about some of the smaller groups. This is why, I believe, we also have very interesting portrayals of Europe in the media that might not be considered so joyful. World Wars, colonialism and exploitation, ethnic tensions and a lot of geographical confusion on where Europe actually begins and ends. Non-European media may also focus on stereotypes about us people, such as being sophisticated, reserved, or elitist, while overlooking the diversity and complexity of European societies (example: French people = walking around with striped clothes and a baguette under their arm). It is almost funny to group all of these cultures into a big umbrella term such as “European”. I am pretty sure the French don't want any kind of association with…well, any other European country.

Europe, then, definitely gives a beautiful perspective on multiculturalism that comes with great challenges. Plus, with the rapid growth of social media, we now realise how easy it is to create stereotypes. As an Italian, I feel like I’ve heard the words “Pizza, pasta, mandolino” –with gestures included– too many times coming out of non-europeans’ mouths, on both social media and real life, that I decided to embrace it and use it as my life motto. (On a side note about this, I get the pizza and the pasta, but why the hell would you mention a mandolin anyway? If you’re focused on food, use Gelato instead. Few people in Italy care about the mandolino, trust me.) Nevertheless, all of this confused media coverage of Europe and the phenomenon of something labelled as “European”, creates some kind of air of mystery which, if you allow me to share my humble opinion, I find kind of cool. But it still has to be addressed in a better way in the media so that every facet of our cultures can be explored and we can share our “Unity in Diversity”(thank you European Union for the quirky sponsorship).

And PLEASE, for the love of god, let's try to learn some geography next time.

PS: If the FBI, the NCA or any other law enforcement shows up at my door after this article is published please tell my parents I love them. And please take care of my plants.

Ode to Joy

By Jack Mc Elligott and Chiara Barone

Ode to Joy is the famous musical composition of the final movement of the Ninth Symphony by our BFF Ludwig van Beethoven. The lyrics are based on a poem written by Friedrich Schiller in 1785. But for us Europeans it also has a dearer meaning: the melody was adopted as the anthem of the European Union in 1985; Exactly 200 years after! We can say the title is suitable since joy is what we all feel when we listen to music. It is one of the few things that we, as humans, all have in common. Every culture, no matter where on planet Earth, has some form of traditional music ‒it has inoculated all of us, like a drug of some sorts. In our digital era, media platforms like Spotify, Apple Music or SoundCloud have even allowed us to share our music with our friends, and I think I can speak for everyone when I saw that a lot of people posted about their Spotify Wrapped…

In the European context, our continent is a melting pot of cultures, and consequently of music. It is one part integral to all of them. Each one of our cultures puts their unique twist. With a wide range of instruments, though we all share “music” as an umbrella term, we all own parts of it as well. As a matter of fact, instruments are usually what define the origins of European folk music. Some countries are automatically recognisable by their instruments: think of Scotland with the bagpipes, or the bouzouki from Greece.

But that’s not all. The way a certain instrument is played also defines where it is from. The accordion is a great example of this. Having a large role throughout the continent, it is played uniquely depending on where you are ‒an ode to harmonisation. In France, we have the musette, characterised by particular tuning and use of double reeds; in Italy we have the tarantella, which is more of a fast, dynamic and energetic turn; in Scandinavian countries it is associated with folk musics like polkas, waltzes, and schottisches; finally in the Balkan countries it is related to a fast finger work and improvisation.

Though unique, we also have to thank some outsiders for our inspiration. Spanish, Balkan and Greek music have all been somewhat influenced by the Arab world. This is all due to historical interactions and cross-cultural exchanges that took place over centuries. Prepare for some history-yapping, folks. For example, we have the Moorish rule in Spain (711–1492), which is believed to have brought over the famous flamenco style, having roots in the fusion of Andalusian, Moorish and Romani musical traditions. On another note, in the Balkans the Byzantine empire and Ottoman Rule had power for centuries, which impacted the folk music with unique scales and instruments such as the oud itself. While for Greek music, it was mainly connected to the cultural and trade connections that took place in the whole Mediterranean region. Nevertheless, although the style of music may have been inspired, the lyrics are of pure originality. These lyrics are usually written with the encouragement of nature, national history, and culture ‒ all coming together to create a melodic medicine.

“Music is the medicine of the soul”, a common saying we’ve all heard at least once in our lives. But is it really? Turns out that yes, it has been scientifically proven that music does in fact raise serotonin levels: it can trigger emotional responses in the brain and can also reduce stress and anxiety, which indirectly contributes to higher serotonin levels. I guess now we know why Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield can turn a wet rainy day into an amazing karaoke experience. So in case you’re ever feeling down about something, just pick up an accordion or bouzouki and learn any song to impress your friends during your next social event! And it also looks great in your CV ;)

How Language and Culture interact

By Lina Amelung

It is undisputed that language is an integral part of culture. When you are in a foreign country, knowledge of a language will help you navigate your way around and allow you to interact with the locals and their customs. Language is seen as a cultural property that brings people together and that can give people a sense of belonging to a particular group. But apart from letting you interact with culture, might language also shape how you see the world?

The concrete nature of the relationship between language and culture has been under discussion for a long time. For years and years, scientists have done research to answer this question and different hypotheses regarding this relationship have been established. They can arguably be classified into four basic categories: 1) there is no relationship; 2) language influences culture; 3) culture influences language; 4) they both influence each other.

While we won’t be able to solve this mystery in this article, it could still be interesting to dive deeper into the different possibilities. I want to focus on the second option, that language influences culture. This view relates to the concept of ‘linguistic relativity’ which is also known as the ‘Sapir-Whorf hypothesis’. It describes the idea that language has cognitive influences, shaping the way we think and perceive the world. An even stronger position, that language not only shapes but determines thought, is called ‘linguistic determinism’.

The assumption that language has an impact on culture has been around for centuries by this point, receiving controversial opinions within the academic community. While the original idea that one’s native language restricts and limits one’s understanding of the world has been largely rejected, the general thought behind linguistic relativity has been revisited many times and is still relevant in the modern-day.

One example of a researcher studying this field nowadays, is the American cognitive scientist Lera Boroditsky who is known for her research on how language shapes thought. In 2018, she gave a TED talk called “How language shapes the way we think”, laying out her research to a wider audience and explaining how languages differ and what effects this might have on perceiving the world. She gives different examples, comparing different languages regarding how they structure e.g. direction, time or colour.

One example I found particularly interesting is related to the grammatical genders of German and Spanish. She argues that the way words are organised into feminine and masculine influences the way speakers of the languages think about them. For instance, the word ‘bridge’ is feminine in German (‘die Brücke’) and masculine in Spanish (‘el puente’). It has been found that German-speakers associate more stereotypically feminine words with a bridge such as ‘elegant’ or ‘beautiful’ whereas Spanish-speakers think of more stereotypically masculine words such as ‘strong’ or ‘long’. This seems to show that the grammatical gender of a word can influence what people associate with the same.

A second example is the perception of colour of English and Russian speakers. In English, people don’t need to use different words to distinguish between shades of blue while in Russian there are two words, ‘goluboy’ and ‘siniy’ to refer to light blue and dark blue respectively. Boroditsky explains that in an experiment in which people were asked to distinguish between shades of blue on a scale, speakers of the different languages will react differently. The researcher says that brain activity can be measured and for speakers that use different words for different shades a ‘surprise reaction’ can be observed: for these people the brain activity shows that something seems to have fundamentally changed when looking at the different shades of colour. This seems to be related to the way it is organised in their language: the colours are separated linguistically which seems to trigger a more clear cut separation of the actual colours as well.

These are only a couple examples researchers have been working on and I personally find this very interesting. Using our native language is something that is so mundane and daily that we probably don’t even think about the influences it might have on our life. The interaction between language and culture is a big (and important!) field and I think it is nice to stop and think about it for a second every now and then.

If you are further interested in this topic, I would highly suggest you check out Lera Boroditsky’s TED talk “How language shapes the way we think” on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=RKK7wGAYP6k) or investigate some more about the idea of ‘linguistic relativity’!

Eurovision's Symphony of Silliness

By Axel Ribovici

An overblown celebration of music, culture, and unification: the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) has won over millions of hearts worldwide for many years. Nevertheless, a complicated web of politics hides behind the glitz and glamour. The competition has turned into a battlefield where geopolitical conflicts and alliances take centre stage, despite its original goals of encouraging fellowship and artistic expression. What started a way to unite the countries of Europe after the damage left by the previous World Wars did nothing but extend the idea of competing nations.

Eurovision began in Switzerland in 1956, with seven nations from Western Europe taking part in it. Over time, the contest expanded to include other Western European countries as well as Turkey, Israel, and Yugoslavia. During the Cold War, Eastern European countries were not allowed to participate due to the European Broadcasting Union's (EBU) incompatible media structures. However, after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the contest quickly expanded to include newly independent countries, with most joining by 1994. The 1990 Eurovision Song Contest in Zagreb was the first to take place in Eastern Europe, and many songs contained themes of European unity and references to the revolutions of the previous autumn.

The 1990s also saw a significant change in Eurovision's voting rules, with tele-voting becoming mandatory in all participating countries by 2004. Prior to this, specialised juries awarded points to performances ranging from one to twelve. However, accusations of biassed voting, known as "bloc voting," emerged. Cyprus and Greece typically gave each other top votes, followed by groans or booing from the audience. The former Yugoslavia and Nordic countries also favour each other's entries. By 2009, accusations of bloc voting became so loud, mainly from the United Kingdom, that the Eurovision Song Contest had to reintroduce juries alongside tele-voting. The UK, as one of the contest's biggest financial supporters, exercises considerable influence.

Putting aside the history and the favouritism, Eurovision's intermediality plays a significant role in shaping its contestants. The Ukrainian submission in 2016 was '1944', which tells the public about the deportation of 240,000 Crimean Tatars in 1944 to Central Asia under Stalin's rule. The song's lyrics can also be interpreted as a reference to the 2014 annexing of the Crimean Peninsula by Russia, marking the beginning of the RussoUkrainian War. The song, which won the contest, was performed by Jamala, who also sang about humanity rising and the death of everyone. The song was not explicitly political but gave the Eurovision public something to think about. It could be seen as a way for the country to send a clear message to the Russian regime through the music contest.

Another noteworthy instance of a political song was the Lithuanian song Eastern European Funk in 2010, performed by the music group InCulto. It is a significant political song that highlights the tension between the West and East of Europe, which were divided by the Iron Curtain after World War II. The West was known for its capitalism and was influenced by countries like the US and Great Britain, while the East was known for its communism and was influenced by the USSR. The Cold War created tension between these two areas, and although the Iron Curtain was abolished in 1989, the concept of the East and West remains a global issue. The song's video clip features a stereotypical Eastern immigrant in Western Europe, living in a tiny house, drinking vodka, and singing their song. The lyrics in the background emphasise the inequality and discrimination between the two parts of Europe, despite the supposed unity of the EU. This political issue highlights the need for a more equal and cooperative union in Europe.

The competitors and the audience can convey political messages in ways other than through the music and the voting process. In 1969, Madrid hosted the ESC, and Austria chose not to participate due to a lack of suitable candidates. But Austria is thought to have abstained due to Spain's rigid and conservative government. Since then the ESC has defined itself and become more than "just" a music competition, despite what one may initially think. Eurovision is first and foremost a celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community and human variety. In addition to being reaffirmed by the show's tagline, "Unity in Diversion," this is also honoured with lots of glitter and rainbow flags as well as

freedoms of expression for all genders, ages, and races. In this sense, unlike in some of the participating nations, the Eurovision contest is utilised as a transcending, gender-political event where equality and respect rule. The development of inclusivity and the progressive nature led to some countries' withdrawal from the competition. For example Turkey, which has not participated since 2013, and Hungary since 2019. Theyare both countries under conservative regimes, respectively led by dictators Erdoğan and Orbán.

Eurovision is praised as the pinnacle of artistic expression and cross-cultural dialogue, but it is inextricably linked to politics. It's still difficult to strike the right balance between political influence and musical integrity as the competition develops. Eurovision has seen the ups and downs of geopolitical changes throughout its history, from the division of the Cold War era to the European Union's development. Reforms to preserve fairness and openness in the competition were prompted by allegations of rigged voting and bloc coalitions with the introduction of tele-voting. However, there are still underlying political tensions that periodically come to light through purposeful silences and controversial song selections. Maybe in the pursuit of peace, Eurovision may rise beyond its political limitations and become again a symbol of diversity and harmony in the world of music.

More than just Croissants and Clichés: Sayings, metaphors and idioms in Europe

By Wiktoria Pieczara

Ah, Europe, the continent where metaphors, idioms, and sayings dance like flamenco in Spain, waltz through Vienna, and sip tea in England. It's truly a place where language takes on a life of its own, like a French croissant rising in the oven of linguistic creativity or a German sausage sizzling with idiomatic flavour. Okay you get the picture. Using these devices in our everyday language not only stimulates the humour during the conversation that we take part in but also lets you express any feelings in more complex, understandable, but still witty way. And it's no secret that the Editorcie crew are a very expressive and funny (at least we would like to think so) bunch. Henceforth, here are some of our favourite expressions from the countries that we proudly yap in.

IRELAND

“A dumb priest never got a parish” - “You don’t get what you don’t go for in life”

Our lovely Jack (final editor) says this all the time and I think it’s hilarious. And kind of accurate. Ireland and its deeply rooted religious ideals really got the gist of how to express another commonly used phrase “you gotta risk it to get the biscuit” but just in a more… logical way. With 78% of Ireland's population being Catholic and an overall 82% identifying as Christian, it is no surprise that this phrase has gotten its way around the country… and maybe even inspired the plot of the second season of Fleabag honestly. It truly encourages people to speak up and act on something that they want in life… even if it is the hesitance of joining a Gaelic football team (do it).

ITALY

“In culo alla balena” - “In the whale's ass”

“In bocca al lupo” - “In the wolf's mouth”

These amazing phrases are two ways of essentially saying “break a leg” or “good luck” in Italian. By saying this you recognise that the situation is difficult to come by and you also capture the common superstition of wishing a negative situation for a good outcome. The fun thing with this is there are actually different ways to respond to the person based on the idiom that is used!

The answers to these can be:

1: "Viva il lupo/viva la balena!" - Long live the wolf/whale!

This one is mainly connected to the image of the she-wolf, or rather the Capitoline Wolf, which symbolises protection according to Roman mythology. The story of Romulus and Remus, with Romulus later to be known as the first King of Rome, tells the tale of two infant twins being nurtured and kept safe by the wolf or lupo/lupa in Italian. Hence, the imagery of being kept in the wolf's mouth in a positive way. The whale version, though, comes from the story of the Hebrew prophet Jonah and his encounter with a whale or balena during the aftermath of a shipwreck. Jonah actually ends up being swallowed by the whale and kept in there for three days… until he is released upon God's command of mercy. Damn.

2: "Crepi il lupo/crepi la balena!" or "Crepi!"

- Let the wolf/ whale die

Simply agreeing and moving on from the fact that someone is wishing you good luck is not enough in Italy. You can also say that because you are stuck in a wolf’s mouth or up a whale’s ass, you naturally just want the creatures to die! This does not only mean that you shall be granted your freedom but also that you also don’t really need the animals’ “protection” in order to still slay whatever it is you are about to do.

ROMANIA

“Te îmbeți cu apă rece” - “Getting drunk with cold water”

When you’re in a situation where things aren’t going well, you might want to make yourself believe that things are better than they are. Even though you know it isn’t true, and you are in “cold water”, you are still deceiving yourself in order to feel better in the moment. And of course, what is the best feeling one can have at any given time of day? Being drunk! Thank you Romania! But it's true, trying to get drunk with cold water seems to be a very Romanainafied version of “wearing rose-coloured glasses” - and I honestly think it’s much better imagery.

GERMANY

“Manchmal biste der Hund, manchmal der Baum”

- “Sometimes you’re the dog, sometimes you’re the tree”

This one hits deep guys. Somehow it's always about winning or losing but it’s time to face the facts. Either, you get pissed on or YOU ARE the pisser! Even if it's not ideal to imagine a dog pissing on a tree, especially if you are the tree, it still captures the lesson that has to be learned much better than the usual “you win some, you lose some”.

POLAND

“Gdyby kózka nie skakała, toby nóżki nie złamała”

- If the little goat didn’t hop, it wouldn't have broken its little leg

Naturally, Poland is full of hopping goats. Just come to Zakopane. But, unfortunately, there are consequences of hopping too much… and Polish people are here to teach you the ugly truth. This idiom is actually the first part of a famous Polish poem for children written by Julian Tuwim, and it is shortly followed by “Ale gdyby nie skakała, toby smutne życie miała.

Prawda?” which translates to “But if it didn't jump, it would have a sad life. Right?” Honestly, truer words have never been spoken.

And now you can go ahead and sound like a true local whenever you visit any of these countries, whether it is to wish someone the death of a whale (okay Italy) or to embody yourself as a peeing dog. Either way, these metaphors are truly great conversation starters and creative ways to get to know what crazy stories lie beneath these silly sayings.

Europe's Hidden Gems: Traditional Celebrations You Didn't Know Existed

By Jack Mc Elligott

Holidays, you either love them or loathe them. Whether you celebrate something as popular as Christmas, or something national such as King’s Day, they’re usually days filled with joyful memories. However, what about the more ‘unknown’ holidays in Europe? I say ‘unknown’ meaning not very widely taught about by people from other countries.

First we take a trip to the island of Iceland, where the Jólasveinar take reign close to Christmas time. Translated as ‘Yule Lads’, they are a group of 13 characters from Icelandic folklore who visit children during the 13 nights leading up to Christmas. Each one has a unique personality and appearance, known for their playful antics and their fondness for mischief. Icelandic children place their shoes by the window each night, hoping to receive small gifts or treats if they’ve behaved well. However, bold children may find potatoes or rotting vegetables instead. Each Yule Lad also has a specific characteristic such as þvörusleikir, or in English, ‘Spoon-Licker’ who, you guessed it, licks the unwashed spoons left by children hoping to enjoy the leftover food. Another Yule Lad is Stúfur, or ‘Stubby’. He is known for his short stature and his habit for stealing pans to eat the crust left on them. I mean, I do the same after a night out but you never see me in Icelandic folklore…

Now we take a short flight to England, where they host the Cheese Rolling Festival. The Cheese Rolling Festival is held annually on the Spring Bank Holiday in Gloucestershire. This centuries-old custom attracts participants and onlookers from all around the globe. The celebration revolves around a race where daring participants chase a wheel of Double Gloucester cheese down a steep hill. The dangerous part is that as the cheese wheel gains speed, competitors tumble and somersault down the hill! The first person to reach the bottom and grab the cheese wins the race, along with the coveted prize of the wheel itself. Despite the risks of injury due to the steep terrain, the event continues to attract thrill seekers and cheese connoisseurs alike, drawn by the opportunity to partake in this unique and time honoured tradition.

Now travelling over to Spain, we take a look at El Colacho. Celebrated in Castrillo de Murcia in the north of Spain, it is a celebration steeped in centuries old tradition. Held in June, the event is a colourful and lively spectacle where men dressed as devils leap over babies born in the past year. This ritual, known as the ‘baby jumping ceremony’, is believed to cleanse the infants of sin and protect them from harm in the coming year. As part of the ceremony, the babies are laid on mattresses in the streets, while the “devils”, adorned in colourful costumes and masks, leap over them in a symbolic act of purification. The festival combines elements of religious devotion with festive celebration, drawing locals and visitors alike to witness the spectacle; showing off the rich cultural heritage of the town.

Going a bit north, we arrive in France. Home to the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and the Festival of the Giant Omelette, of course. Taking place in Bessière on Easter Monday, the festival is a fairly new tradition, dating to 1973. The festival involves the cooking of a massive omelette using thousands of eggs, in a pan measuring almost four metres in diameter! Local chefs and volunteers gather to crack eggs and mix them with various ingredients including herbs, onions, and some bacon or cheese.

The omelette is then cooked by skilled chefs carefully flipping and stirring the mixture to ensure it cooks evenly. Once ready, the giant omelette is served to a crowd in the town square. The festival is one that symbolises unity, generosity, and the joy of coming together to celebrate Easter.

These are only a few of the many holidays that are celebrated in Europe. So whenever you’re thinking about leaving an unwashed spoon out after cooking an omelette. Just remember that there’s a celebration out there just for it.

Challenging Cultural Stereotypes through Conversation

By Lina Amelung

If I had a Euro for everytime someone reacted in shock to finding out that I, as a German, don’t particularly like beer, I would probably be able to cover tuition for the upcoming year. The stereotype of the Lederhosen-wearing German, with a beer in one hand and a Brezel in the other is probably familiar to many. And, to be fair, many Germans I know do like beer. After all, those assumptions in most cases do not pop up out of nowhere. However, they are often far from true.

Stereotypes, as per definition, are beliefs about a specific group of people that are widely held and often oversimplified. From a cognitive point of view, it is rather easy to explain why stereotypes exist. It is connected to the human need to categorise in order to process the world. That is not inherently a bad thing. Nevertheless, I think it is easy to imagine how such generalisations can be problematic as well. Stereotypes can be a good conversation starter but, unfortunately, also quite damaging. Whole groups of people get stigmatised based on facts which are exaggerated or simply untrue which, in turn, might result in discrimination. What can we do to prevent this from happening? Educate ourselves!

I asked some fellow Esperians about common stereotypes about their countries and to what extent they might hold true. Petra from Slovakia told me that one common perception of her country (and just Slavic countries in general) is that they have a drinking problem. While she disagrees with the depiction of Slovakians as heavy drinkers, she does recognise that the consumption of alcohol is a big part of the culture of hospitality. It is common to make sure that your guest’s glass is never empty. Having a welcome as well as a goodbye drink (which they even have a word for!) is an integral part of the local culture. The importance of hospitality is something Christine from Bulgaria also emphasised. If you are invited somewhere you can expect there to be food involved - not just a simple glass of water. And Christine wants to set the record straight in regards to something else: the script they use in Bulgaria. Many will refer to their letters as the “Russian alphabet” which will offend many

Bulgarians. Some quick research will show that the Cyrillic (not the Russian!) script was actually developed in the Bulgarian empire, so, fair enough that Bulgarians don’t like it if Russia gets all the credits just because their language might be more known.

From the Balkan we move on to the North. For a change, we have a stereotype that can be completely confirmed by a local. Alisa from Finland says that people believe that they drink a lot of coffee in her country. And, Finland does in fact have the highest coffee consumption per capita in the world. Also, many people like to drink their coffee black. However, there are also some beliefs out there about Finland that are less accurate. Alisa says that people tend to think that they don’t get a single ray of sunshine during winter. Though this might be true for some parts high in the North such as Lapland, it is by no means true for the whole country. In more Southern regions, for example around Helsinki where Alisa is from, there is only a couple hours less of sun than here which to her isn’t even that noticeable.

So, we have seen that stereotypes exist about virtually every group out there, covering every subject imaginable. And they can be entertaining. However, it might also be good to critically question them every now and then.

Maybe we got lost in translation, maybe I dubbed too much…

(Chiara Barone’s version)

Moving to the Netherlands made me realise a lot of things about my home country’s culture. Except for the (sorry not sorry) worse food here than back home, I also came across a very interesting one: you guys put subtitles for every. single. cinematographic. thing. instead of dubbing. When I asked Dutch people why you guys use subtitles for movies and TV shows, they just said “Wait…you have dubbed movies?!”. So of course I had to ask more people from different countries about this, and I basically found out that Europe is the playground of the Subbed VS Dubbed War.

Italy is on the dubbing side (obviously), together with for example France, Spain and Germany. Historically, it’s because they had governments that had protectionist cultural policies in the 1930s –about the time that films with sound were first introduced– and the same was applied to TV programmes. So we just stuck with it.

More specifically, in France there's a sort of elitism among people who prefer to watch movies in the original language with subtitles, since it is apparently “more accepted and normal”. While in Germany, the Allied forces saw that the best way to reach and re-educate the local audience was by hiding the “foreignness” of their films by dubbing them into their language. From 1949 onward German dubbing grew in popularity, but it also became a form of historical censorship (who would have guessed?!).

But let’s go back in time for a second. To give you readers your “Little Historical Fact of The Day”, Italy is actually the OG of dubbing. As a matter of fact, it can trace its origins in said country in the early 20th century, when silent films were given voice through live performances. This approach influenced other countries and laid the foundation for modern techniques. But the million dollar question for us today is: why did some countries implement dubbing and some didn’t?

To answer this, dear pupils, I will make a “Dubbing - Pros and Cons” list. I am an organised girly on this matter, so don’t complain.

PROS:

• It allows the film maker to obtain high-quality dialogue regardless of the actual conditions that existed during shooting.

• It is used to add sound effects to the original soundtrack.

• Sometimes it is even used in musicals to substitute a “more pleasing” voice for that of an actor who performs a song on camera (a nice way to say that you suck at singing, I guess).

• It is more used in populous countries, and is more offered for audiences who speak some major language –hence the countries I mentioned above.

• It might also be preferred among populations with low literacy levels (so that means we’re dumb?!!! Consider me offended.).

• Sometimes, it is probably just an accident of history. A national TV broadcaster or film distributor could have decided to handle translations one way or the other, and the practice stuck, and now it is what the local viewers are accustomed to.

CONS:

• The major drawback is that it is very expensive compared to subs.

• It results in lack of authenticity .

• The translated dialogue might appear weird as the movie itself retains the original and conventional characters’ characteristics – for example, think of Spiderman, an American superhero, conversing in Hindi. (अपने अनुकूल पड़ोस स्पाइडरमैन)

• Labial and voice don’t coincide, and for us perfectionists and OCD people it’s quite annoying

• Very specific case: Anime companies want to see a return on their investments, so spending money dubbing a series they don't think will do well with Western audiences is usually seen as a risk not worth taking. Therefore they prefer subtitles. (However, if the subbed versions do well or a reputable company wants to distribute it, then they will often consider a dubbed version).

In conclusion, for both cases you might have some meaning getting lost in translation because you dubbed too much… *insert taylor swift reference here*. Nevertheless, countries adopted what they thought would be best in matters of economical propositions. (We always go back to money, don’t we?). Then once a country stuck with one of the two practices, they wouldn't dare change everything. For example, people might simply be more used to seeing subtitles, thus there is more demand for them rather than dubs and vice versa. Still, I think this is such a particular opposition between the European countries, one that I was definitely not expecting.

But then… Are you team Subs or team Dubs?! Choose your answers carefully. I know where you guys live.

Do all Slavs squat? - A Review of the Slavic Meme Culture

By Wiktoria Pieczara

As a Slavic individual, I have the utmost right to write this article. And I’m actually laughing while writing it. Slavic memes and the culture around them has spread a ridiculous amount of stereotypes and laughs all around Europe, and the three striped Adidas tracksuits have turned the world upside down. This phenomenon of the repeated and recycled ad nauseum is not only worthy of a Reddit post but also a Esperia meme review. With that, grab your cheapest Smirnoff Ice from under your couch, we are counting down the best and the worst Slavic memes out there.

Side note: Something or someone being Slavic is a very broad term. I am using it because the various countries of similar unified harmonies seem to be woven into these internet memes very interchangeably and randomly. It's almost as if people didn’t know that Yugoslavia wasn't a thing anymore. Regardless of this, all Slavic countries are DIFFERENT countries. We have our own languages, currencies, political absurdity and brands of beers. We each have our own history, our own understandings of what grandma makes for Christmas and our own stories to tell.

Slovakian “roads” - 10/10

This meme is extremely hilarious. The mixture of dark humour and the painful reality of post-communist roads that your government can’t afford to care about is at a perfect balance. And even though bumpy asphalt is a problem in seemingly every country, this one particularly sticks out to me because it's such a common pattern for Slavic drivers. To add, the “Canva'' van sticker compliments the colour imagery of the whole work splendidly.

WHAT? IT'S ALMOST LIKE OUR LANGUAGES HAVE THE SAME ROOTS?!!?!? - 8/10

Okay, hear me out. I do like when this happens. It’s super fun to compare languages and try to speak to one another interchangeably with the occasional one word that is completely different and is followed by an awkward silence. There’s a sense of comfort that also comes with that because even if you do not 100% understand each other it's still an “imagined” piece of unity that is between you. I won’t give it a 10/10 because it didn’t really make me chuckle, but it's still a token of Slavic languages that I respect. And also I do love Przyjaciele (Friends in Polish).

Squatting slavs - 7/10

This is an internationally recognised phenomenon. But it is actually not only a meme but also a globalised representation of a huge subculture. “Gopiniki”, translated from Russian essentially meaning “a part of a collective”, evolved in the lowerclass suburbs of Eastern European countries after the fall of communism. And even though the name is attributed to those who primarily engage in violent or outlaw behaviour, it of course has become the stereotype of all our young Slavic men out there which is why I’m not a huge fan of the meme… because it's rather a lifestyle. We do not all squat but it’s funny you think we do. But honestly, a Rasputin dance battle with a Slav? Good luck ;))

Tales of Culture Shock from International Students in the Netherlands

By Axel Ribovici

Many people experience culture shock when they are placed in a new environment, particularly when moving for educational purposes. All of a sudden, you find yourself in a foreign country you need to learn to navigate alone. Culture is such an overwhelming societal construction and it is very easy to get lost in it. Feelings of disorientation and anxiety can come to the surface when individuals are confronted with unfamiliar customs, traditions, values, and ways of life. The experience of culture shock can vary widely from person to person and it depends on factors such as one's background, previous exposure to different cultures, and the degree of difference between the new culture and one's own. While some people may adapt relatively quickly and even thrive in new cultural settings, others may struggle to adjust and may experience profound feelings of isolation and homesickness. As one of the many internationals from this city that experienced many culture shocks when arriving here, I took it upon myself to seek out and compose a list of the biggest shocks other internationals also had. I tried to reach high and beyond but my social network did not go past Europe; after all this edition is “Europedia”.

“You can’t be spontaneous in this culture”

This is a direct quote from An-Mari, a student from Bulgaria who grew up in Cyprus. She was left astonished at the level at which Dutch people plan their day. As students, you expect people to have a busy schedule, especially if they also work on the side but looking into the schedule of a Dutch student can make you spiral out of control. Taking the concept of bullet journaling to another level, the art of scheduling seems like their second nature. This can be a sign of discipline but can also cause annoyance to international students that need to wait 13 working days to be scheduled in for a cup of coffee. Growing up in a culture that does not expect you to colour code your appointments of the day, it can be a bit rough letting go of spontaneity. Another example is Magdalena is from New Zealand, who grew up partially in the UK

and moved a lot throughout her life; traveling through Georgia, Latvia, Uzbekistan, just to name a few. She settled here for her Bachelor’s degree and admitted that she was a bit taken aback by how everyone’s schedule is so strict, restricting hers simultaneously.

Searching for an accommodation is more complicated than looking for a life partner

It's no surprise that the housing market here is a nightmare. The Dutch students already complain themselves about this, even their government acknowledges that the lack of housing is a serious issue, so what chances do us international students have? Within this subject, I want to talk about hospi culture: the practice of fighting tooth and nail with other people that want the same room all while plastering a smile on your face and enjoying a glass of wine with your prospective roommates. For the ones who never participated in one, consider yourself lucky. In short, a hospi is the viewing of a potential place you want to live in. Present will be the people already living there, as also other guests that want the same room. Your job is to impress them enough, so they pick you as their new roommate. Essentially it’s “the Bachelor” but you get a key instead of a rose. And while we are on this subject, I would like to directly quote a message from Chiara saying “ the f****** dutch stairs”. Our lovely Italian is not the only one to have a hate relationship with the stairs sent from hell.

Mixed feelings about food and tastes

For a country that colonised places with a huge spice trade market, it seems they forgot to bring some back for themselves. The lack of pepper in their food is not the primary culture shock which students complained about though. “I gave up on bread, I even tried the fancy one from the market” said Fritze, a second year student from Germany. As you would expect, I had plenty of Germans that stated “I miss the bread back home”. Not the only nationality that had a say about this topic, mostly everyone agreed that the bread from the store is simply bad, the only ones

not seeing that are the Dutchies. Among this topic, internationals were also quite confused about the fried snacks in the food wall; but they came to appreciate the “Hoek” very much. What some of them did not get on board with however, is the typical Dutch breakfast or lunch that is just bread and cheese. The seeming lack of a national cuisine that is not stamppot should have given away the fact that they should not make high expectations regarding the pleasure of their taste buds.

How does the saying go? Direct as a Dutch person

Dutch people grow on you eventually… the key word here being: “eventually”. Many students have mentioned that they were taken aback by how direct and even cold a Dutch person appears to be. “A bit stereotypical, but I come from Ireland and in Ireland it doesn’t matter. If you know the person, they will talk to you. Irish people are very open and talkative and for me it was a culture shock to come to the Netherlands, because I find most Dutch people to be very closed off, especially when it comes to internationals. They tend to keep them themselves and not make conversation with us“ said Paula, who is Romanian but grew up in Ireland. This also appears to be a stereotypical misconception that Dutch people tend to be very directly outspoken, something not everyone is accustomed to. That also depends on who you make friends with, most of them are an exception to the rule and can be very nice to have as friends.

I am more scared of bikes than I am of cars

Chiara makes a comeback with a quote that we can all relate to. We all knew before coming here that there will be a lot of biking but that still does not mean most of us like it or even feel safe biking in the city. It is the survival of the fittest out there. My first lesson in biking in this country followed one rule -”There are no rules, you make your own.”

Honourable mentions

• The insane price of a beer in any pub or restaurant and you don’t even get your money's worth for it. But then again, the insane price of everything. - Axel, from Romania.

• Nobody carries cash on them and they do not accept all types of cards at some stores. - Fritze, from Germany.

• The best thing the medical system can give you is paracetamol, after you wait 3 weeks for your appointment.- An-Mari, from Bulgaria.

• Dutch men. - Anastasiia, from Ukraine.

• Biking with wet hair should be illegal. - Chiara, from Italy.

At the end of the day, many students find themselves gradually adjusting to Dutch life, making friends and appreciating the special experiences that come with living abroad, despite the early culture shocks and adaptations. Through their common struggles and victories, they create a stronger awareness of cultural diversity and acquire the abilities needed to prosper in a globalised society. In the end, the tales told by these students demonstrate the value of cross-cultural communication and the human spirit's resiliency in the face of adversity.

Student (but not only) traditions calendar in Europe

By Wiktoria Pieczara

Crazy initiation ceremonies and stocking up on more beers that you can ever imagine is a part of most student lives and traditions that have been followed ever since seniors decided to be superior to freshmen. However, there are some celebrations around Europe that don’t have to always revolve around musty frat boy parties. Here are three student traditions from different vibrant parts of Europe that can also be celebrated by you or anyone else that comes and gives them a whirl.

Greece: Patrino Karnavali

In the south-west of Greece, a three hour drive away from Athens, stands the city of Patras. And in this city the biggest carnival in the country runs its course for a whopping two months (but in reality it's only three weeks). The Patras Carnival is rooted in the liberation of the Greeks, from the Ottomans, after the Greek War of Independence (1821–1829) and is a symbol of freedom and celebration with the motto being “Anything goes!”. Typically from January 17th (Saint Anthony’ Day) to March 18th (Clean Monday), floats and parades flood the streets of Patras which are open to both adults and children alike. Students during this time usually choose to dress up in a matching manner and participate in the dancing and singing, along with 40 thousand spectators, on each of the three Sundays in large groups. Some of them even participate in the showing of floats, leading the way of the “Carnival King”. This is the meticulouslymade main float that ends the festivities on the last Sunday of the carnival; essentially a twelve meter long face of a laughing man whose “theme” is changed every year. Best, or maybe saddest, part of the whole Grand Parade ceremony, you ask? They actually burn the King at the end in order to finalise the moments of all the joy and laughter all together, so the Greek students can all go back to writing their thesis.

Spain: La Feria de Abril

Originally a fair of merchants and farmers to sell their livestock, La Feria de Abril has evolved into one of the most lookedforward-to time of year all around Spain. It is the biggest festival in Andalusia, usually celbrated two weeks after Easter in the city of Seville, and a time for students to be their most extravagant selves with the celebration of their culture, music and food. Planning for this fair, especially when it comes to outfits, is very important. The flamenco dresses, or “trajes de flamenca”, for women and traditional Spanish cowboy hats, or "cordobés", are the staple pieces for everyone to show off… while riding horses through the streets, of course. Caseta hopping is another big part of this holiday where every house welcomes their neighbours and friends to celebrate in their own unique atmospheres. There are even sometimes competitions to see who can score the most house parties in each friend group. To wash it all down, Rebujito, a cocktail made from sherry wine and soda, is the star of every bar and every cup that is carried by celebrating students.

Sweden: Kräftskiva

Swedish universities LOVE to shower their students with a million traditions to follow. Even from highschool, any curriculum followed in Sweden will typically have the same festivities that are really key to Swedish culture. Most of these are held when it’s warm, because whenever a Swede sees a single ray of sunshine, it’s game over for everyone who wants to go and read a book outside. One of these outdoors (but could be celebrated indoors) events is Kräftskiva which is essentially a Crayfish Party. Although it’s not exclusively celebrated by students, they really do know how to throw one hell of a kräftskiva. It is one of those key moments in the beginning of the school year when everyone gets together to hang out in the sun, get drunk and…devour crayfish amongst various cheeses and breads. Everything on this day in late August is crayfish inspired…napkins, bibs, table clothes, party hats, plates. You might as well just become one at the end of the day. The origins of this tradition that has spanned for over 100 years are rather simple: the very narrow window of crayfish season in Sweden.

Ireland: Twelve Pubs of Christmas

Could you think of something more Irish? Didn’t think so! In Ireland, the "Twelve Pubs of Christmas" is a legendary tradition among college students and young adults during the holiday season. It's essentially a pub crawl with a candy cane twist. ;) The goal? To visit twelve different pubs in only one evening. Participants usually dress up in ugly Christmas sweaters and indulge in a drink, often following specific rules set by the group, like singing a Christmas carol before ordering or drinking only using your left hand. It is also highlighted that the participants must drink a cup of water every four pubs they go to (thank God) and that they can't spend more than 30 minutes in each. The tradition originates from the fantastic minds of students in 90’s Dublin and is now celebrated all over the UK as well. By the end of the night, everyone's spirits are high, probably from one too many pints of Guinness. It's a beloved tradition that captures the holy and definitely jolly season in true Irish fashion.

From Bestsellers to Banned Sellers: Why we can’t read Harry Potter in Poland.

By Chiara Barone

Yes, you read that right. It came to me as much of a shock when Wiki –shoutout to her– told me during one of our meetings. Either I am very biassed as I am a hard core Harry Potter fan (I'm Hufflepuff btw), or maybe it’s just because it’s such a dumb and unbelievable fact, that I HAD to look more into it. It turns out that she was right: reading the famous JK Rowling’s saga in a Polish church is scorned, as it is considered a form of witchcraft.

One particular case was found in 2019 in the northern city of Koszalin, where three priests set fire to a bunch of books, including our beloved Harry PotsPots, while also saying prayers and a small group of people watched. The Catholic evangelical foundation SMS From Heaven posted the photographs to its Facebook page, which has 22,000 followers, accompanied by fiery emojis and Old Testament quotes connected to sorcery and idolatry. Some comments under the post were definitely interesting, as they were either concerned for their mental wellbeing or they were relating the practice to Nazi Germany. All of this info can be found in various online newspapers like BBC or The Guardian, so I swear I am not making this up. I don’t even think I have the imagination for this.

Reading more about this and consequently entering a rabbit hole about banned books, I realised how much power these piles of inked sheets of paper can have. Literature and books are a very powerful tool, even if sometimes we don't realise it. The example of Harry Potter in Poland is definitely only a fun particular case in the latest years, but let's not forget serious other events. Take a look at totalitarianism and censorship of the media in order to maintain control. For example, we all know how Nazis burned piles and piles of books in less than four months by the beginning of their regime. Limiting interactions with specific books results in limited freedom.

Books are also a great way of telling your side of the story without making it too obvious. Orwell was a true master at this as his most recognised book today, Animal Farm (1945), was banned in multiple European countries due to its critique of totalitarianism and its allegorical portrayal of the Russian Revolution.

Nabokov’s Lolita (1955) is another particular book that had been banned because of the portrayal of “explicit subject matter involving a middle aged man’s obsession with a girl”. Or what you can also call pedophilia. I guess it depends from which perspective you read it.

One thing is definitely worth saying: books hold great power over readers and societies. Make sure to not judge a book by its cover, because, as we’ve seen, what you might think is just an innocent fun book about kids in a magic world, can actually be considered at the limit of acceptable in some specific contexts. On both sides of the spectrum, books are a great tool in the right hands, a dangerous tool in some others. Maybe we will learn to start trusting literature more and what it can give us, so that we’ll stop looking at reading as some boring activity to do in our free time. Nothing wrong with this, of course. I’m the first one to do it. Our minds do need a bit of smutty romance stories (send me a text for spicy recommendations). But there is also a great deal we can start learning from books.

After all, with great power comes great responsibility…Oops, wrong saga. Never mind.

Go read, have fun and expand your mind, I’ll see you in the bookstore!

The Catholic evangelical foundation SMS From Heaven burning a pile of books and other objects, Koszalin, Poland.

Why studying ELC isn’t a waste of time

By Lina Amelung

When saying that you study “European Languages and Cultures” (or any other humanities subject, for that matter) one is usually met with either one of two reactions: 1) “Oh, that sounds interesting. What do you do in this study? Do you like it?” or 2) “Oh… what’s that? And what can you do with that later?”. While I deem it fair to say that we all would prefer the first reaction, the latter unfortunately (in my experience) continues to be more prominent.

It is understandable that people ask what exactly the study is, but questioning why you’re doing it can be… hurtful.

Some people might not recognise it, but knowing about different languages and cultures can be incredibly valuable, especially in our increasingly globalised world. As a skill it might not be comparable to being able to do complicated calculations or knowing every bone in the human body - however, it can be a crucial base for a successful working environment. Next to my humble opinion, I asked our lovely board members why they think culture matters and how they are applying things they have studied in real life.

First of all, I think it is fair to say that many courses in the programme ELC aim at teaching knowledge that can be related to “cultural awareness”. This is somewhat of a buzz term but captures very well a crucial skill to have to communicate ideas and work together with different people. Our secretary Bente G. emphasises that it can contribute to developing more understanding and/or acceptance of views on life and society that are different from your own. Furthermore, she believes that having this cultural knowledge can teach us more about ourselves as well: becoming aware of our own prejudices, privileges and positions. This sort of sensitivity to cultural diversity is crucial in fostering successful relationships with people all over the world. This is what Ruben also sees as one important aspect of cultural competence: the ability to meet and connect with new people. He believes that being aware of the different cultural backgrounds of others will help us to understand each other better.

The second big part of our study is of course the language learning. And language is a big part of culture as well. For this, it might be easier to see the real-life relevance. Knowing another language will naturally allow you to communicate with a diverse group of people and facilitate interactions. Ninon, for instance, has been able to apply her Swedish knowledge during her holiday in Sweden last year.

But not only the ability to communicate in a foreign language but the simple knowledge about how language works is something that we can use in real life. Roxan said that linguistics in that sense was one of the things that got her interested in the bachelor’s programme in the first place and finally, she also opted for the linguistics profile. Especially in regards to the latter, she likes that she can connect some phenomena studied in class to contexts outside of university. Ninon also mentioned that she now started noticing more social and theoretical concepts outside of class, just in conversation or generally in her surroundings. When it comes to transferring knowledge from the classroom to daily life, our chair Bente L. had one very specific sociolinguistic phenomenon in mind: code-switching. This concept refers to the practice of bilingual or multiple people switching between different languages in the same conversation. As a native speaker of Dutch and Frisian, Bente catches herself doing so frequently. The same is probably the case for many of us, living and studying in a multicultural and multilingual environment. Classes have provided Bente with the tools to talk about these common practices and to explain them from a more academic perspective.

So, we can see that various reasons can be found why learning about culture is important and that in the end it mostly breaks down to understanding our society and the practices connected to it. Everyone participates in these practices but I believe that we, as humans, also need people that study these phenomena to grow personally and as a society. And with that, our endeavours, as humanities students, are far from a waste of time.

To conclude, I hope that you are now equipped with what to say when your nosy relatives are interrogating you about your study choice. You got this!

Exploring

Europe: 25 Fascinating and Quirky Facts to Spark Your Wanderlust

By Jack Mc Elligott

1. Did you know that the Netherlands has more bicycles than inhabitants?

2. The “Baciu Forest” in Romania is considered the most haunted in the world, and is sometimes even referred to as the “Bermuda Triangle of Romania”.

3. Poland produced over 87 million litres of vodka in 2023, and it’s where vodka originated!

4. Did you know that Iceland has no army whatsoever?!

5. Greece has roughly 6,000 islands, with around 200 being inhabited.

6. Finland has more saunas than cars!

7. Coming back to Romania, were you aware that the Romanian parliament in Bucharest is the 2nd largest building in the world? Only behind the Pentagon.

8.Italy is home to the oldest university in Europe - located in Bologna!

9. Norway has the longest road tunnel in the world, running 24.5km.

10. The award for the highest beer consumption in the world goes to the Czech Republic!

11. Did you know that Switzerland has one of the highest rates of gun ownership despite having a low crime rate?

12. Were you aware that Denmark has a list of over 7,000 approved baby names, and new parents have to pick their child's name from the list?

13. Wales is home to the longest town name in Europe with Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogo ch, coming in with 57 letters!

14. In 2008, the Norwegian king knighted a penguin.

15. Bosnia and Herzegovina is home to the largest, and one of the only rainforests in Europe: Perućica.

16. Did you know that the Albanian language is one of the oldest in the world? With roots dating back 4,000 years!

17. Arsenalna metro station in Kyiv is the deepest in the world at 107 metres deep!

18. Slovenia is home to the world’s oldest wooden wheel dating back to 3,200BC.

19. Montenegro possesses to the deepest canyon in the world with the Tara River Canyon measuring over a kilometre deep in some parts!

20.Were you aware that the tie originated in Europe?

21. In Malta tourists outnumber locals.

22. Did you know that it’s illegal to wash your car at home in Germany?

23.Have you heard of Liberland? It’s a micronation located between Serbia and Croatia along the Danube.

24.Albania has the highest bunker per capita ratio with one bunker for every 20 Albanians.

25.Hate mosquitos? Move to Iceland! Iceland is one of the few countries in the world that has no mosquitos.

A few words to wrap up

Dear Reader,

And with that, the second issue of the ETCetera comes to an end. You have learned more about the musical make-up of Europe, culture shocks, why some countries dub films and much more. It was our pleasure to dive into different cultures, find out more about each of them and connect them together. We hope you agree that the result was a great diversity of representation and we hope you enjoyed reading about each of them!

Given the topic of this issue, we asked many fellow Esperians to hit us with quirks about their culture, their own experiences and just general facts. The variety of different cultures represented wouldn’t have been possible without your insights. So, thank you to everyone that helped us in creating this issue!

It can’t be emphasised enough, we are always happy to hear your feedback. Things you liked as well as (constructive) criticism are welcome! Also, if you have any ideas for a theme regarding the next issue or just general ideas for articles, feel free to contact us. Any ideas are always greatly appreciated.

Now we will crawl back into our creative cave of inspiration (if only something like that existed in real life!) to cook up the next and last issue of this year. We hope to see you again at its release for the final goodbye. Until then, take care!

Love,

Lina, Wiktoria, Axel, Chiara and Jack