Editing Esperanto (section)

=== Culture ===
[[File:Uk 2008 libroservo.JPG|thumb|Esperanto books at the [[World Congress of Esperanto|World Esperanto Congress]], Rotterdam 2008]]
{{Main|Esperanto culture|Esperanto literature|Esperanto film|Esperanto music}}

[[Esperantists]] participate in an international culture, including a large body of original as well as translated [[Esperanto literature|literature]]. There are more than 25,000 Esperanto books, both originals and translations, as well as several regularly distributed [[List of Esperanto magazines|Esperanto magazines]]. In 2013, a museum about Esperanto opened in China.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/culture/2013-11/18/c_132897910.htm|title=China's first Esperanto museum opens|agency=Xinhua News Agency|access-date=January 14, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131208002954/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/culture/2013-11/18/c_132897910.htm|archive-date=December 8, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> Esperantists use the language for free accommodations with Esperantists in 92 countries using the {{lang|eo|[[Pasporta Servo]]}} or to develop [[pen pal]]s through ''{{Interlanguage link|Esperanto Koresponda Servo|eo}}''.<ref name="Ellemberg2014">{{cite web |url=http://esperantofre.com/eks/ |title=Esperanto Koresponda Servo |date=June 8, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160111223117/http://esperantofre.com/eks/ |archive-date=2016-01-11 |url-status=live |first=Enrique |last=Ellemberg |publisher=Esperanto Fremont |location=Fremont, California |orig-year=1st&nbsp;pub.&nbsp;1996}}</ref>

Every year, Esperantists meet for the [[World Congress of Esperanto]] ''({{lang|eo|Universala Kongreso de Esperanto}})''.<ref>Ziko van Dijk. {{lang|eo|Sed homoj kun homoj: Universalaj Kongresoj de Esperanto 1905–2005}}. Rotterdam: UEA, 2005.</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Szilvási László |url=http://www.eventoj.hu/ |title=International Esperanto meetings |publisher=Eventoj.hu |access-date=December 5, 2010 |archive-date=February 3, 2001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010203174500/http://www.eventoj.hu/ |url-status=live }}</ref> World congresses have been held in different countries every year, except during the two World Wars, and the 2020 [[COVID-19 pandemic]] (when it was moved to an online-only event). Since the [[Second World War]], they have been attended by an average of more than 2,000 people, and up to 6,000 people at the most.

Historically, much music has been written in the language such as {{lang|eo|Kaj Tiel Plu}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.musicexpress.com.br/artisto.asp?Artista=135#musica=Adiaux%20Birdeto%20Mia|title=musicexpress.com.br|publisher=Musicexpress.com.br|access-date=January 14, 2015|archive-date=October 7, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007083335/http://www.musicexpress.com.br/artisto.asp?Artista=135#musica=Adiaux%20Birdeto%20Mia|url-status=dead}}</ref> There is also a variety of classical and semi-classical choral music, both original and translated, as well as large ensemble music that includes voices singing Esperanto texts. [[Lou Harrison]], who incorporated styles and instruments from many world cultures in his music, used Esperanto titles and/or texts in several of his works, most notably {{lang|eo|La Koro-Sutro}} (1973). [[David Gaines (composer)|David Gaines]] used Esperanto poems as well as an excerpt from a speech by Zamenhof for his ''Symphony No. One (Esperanto)'' for mezzo-soprano and orchestra (1994–98). He wrote original Esperanto text for his {{lang|eo|Povas plori mi ne plu}} (''I Can Cry No Longer'') for unaccompanied [[SATB]] choir (1994).

There are also shared holidays, such as [[Zamenhof Day]] (also known as Esperanto Book Day, December 15) and [[Esperanto Day]] (July 26).<ref name="UEA">{{cite web |url=http://www.linguistic-rights.org/zamenhof-tago/2017/Zamenhof_Day_Esperanto_Book_Day_15_December_2017_EN.html |title=Zamenhof-Day / Esperanto Book Day, 15 December |first=Stefano |last=Keller |translator-first=Brian |translator-last=Moon |publisher=Universal Esperanto Association |access-date=2018-12-14 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Proponents of Esperanto, such as [[Humphrey Tonkin]], a professor at the [[University of Hartford]], argue that Esperanto is "culturally neutral by design, as it was intended to be a facilitator between cultures, not to be the carrier of any one national culture". The late Scottish Esperanto author [[William Auld]] wrote extensively on the subject, arguing that Esperanto is "the expression of a [[Esperanto as an international language|common human culture]], unencumbered by national frontiers. Thus it is considered a culture on its own."<ref>{{Cite book|last=Auld|first=William|title=La Fenomeno Esperanto|trans-title=The Esperanto Phenomenon|place=Rotterdam|publisher=Universala Esperanto-Asocio|date=1988|language=eo|isbn=978-92-9017-037-2}}</ref>