The meaning of some holidays may change over time. For example, Europe Day in Ukraine used to be an exclusively formal and informative event. But due to the events of the past few years, it has turned into one of the significant symbols of our resistance and course towards European integration. Therefore, online.yua will now tell you about this holiday, the date of its celebration and related traditions in more detail.
When is Europe Day celebrated?
Since recently, Europe Day has been celebrated in Ukraine on May 9, as in all EU countries. A special decree on this was signed by Volodymyr Zelenskyi in 2023. And before that, according to the decree of President Leonid Kuchma, Europe Day was celebrated every third Saturday in May.
There is, however, an alternative opinion, according to which Europe Day should be celebrated not on May 9, but on May 5 - in honor of the founding of the Council of Europe. But about everything in order.
History of the holiday
Initially, Europe Day was celebrated exclusively on May 5 - in honor of the founding of the Council of Europe in May 1949. It was officially announced by the Council of Europe in 1965. But soon the situation changed.
The fact is that back in 1950, Robert Schuman, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of France, proposed the creation of a new supranational economic entity for the more effective recovery of countries after the war. And he did not just propose, but drew up a realistic plan of action, which was later called the "Schumann Declaration". And it happened exactly on May 9. At first, it was only about the metallurgical industry of France and Germany, but soon the formation expanded to other countries as well.
The decision turned out to be very successful - strong economic, and later cultural, ties began to form between the countries that were once separated, including for ideological reasons. All this significantly strengthened the Council of Europe and various economic communities, which later transformed into the European Union. And at the beginning of this transformation process - in 1985, a decision was made to move Europe Day to May 9 - to once again emphasize the importance of the "Schumann Declaration" for a united Europe. Well, in 2008, the European Parliament (yes, you know how quickly decisions are made there) made Europe Day an official holiday of the EU.
As for independent Ukraine, as we have already said, we started celebrating Europe Day rather late - in 2003, when the course for European integration was already finally established. However, since the date of May 9 also coincided with another holiday, which is no longer celebrated in our country, we had to set a floating date - every 3rd Saturday in May. And only in 2023 did we finally start celebrating Europe Day at the same time as other EU countries.
Holiday traditions
Despite the fact that this holiday is relatively recent, it has already grown up with many traditions. For example, on this day, most of the institutions associated with the EU Institutes hold various exhibitions, public lectures, excursions and film screenings, where they talk about the history of the EU, the values of the organization and actions related to their implementation.
In addition, European Union flags are displayed everywhere, fairs, demonstrations and other mass events are held. Unfortunately, in connection with the military situation on the territory of Ukraine, most public events are transferred to the online format - this is a completely normal practice, as in the countries of the European Union they also did this during the covid era.
And yes, despite the importance of Europe Day in Ukraine, it is not an official day off. At least we have. But in Luxembourg - Schuman's homeland and some Balkan countries - the opposite is true. Plus, this day is also an official day off for employees of EU institutions - the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and numerous commissions and committees subordinate to them.
Conclusion
Now is the time when you need to periodically remind yourself - what we, in fact, continue to fight for. And Europe Day is exactly the kind of holiday that does this. After all, Ukraine is Europe, and not only territorially, but also psychologically. European values have always been more important to us than authoritarian traditions of Eastern countries. So, dear fellow citizens, Happy Europe Day! And believe that Ukraine will soon become a full member of the European Union from a candidate for membership!
