What is Euro Day? What percentage of people around the globe use the euro in their country? When was the euro first introduced? Many people have these questions and would love to know the answer.

Since its inception in 1999, the Euro has been an interesting topic. Its occasional rapid rises and falls, the controversy it has caused in certain countries, and the fact that it is a great reflection of Europe’s current mindset have all made it a fascinating topic. The euro is worthy of its own day for all these reasons.

On 16 December 1995, the name euro was officially adopted. The euro currency became operational on 1 January 1999 after more than 30 years of planning. European leaders had wanted to create one currency for all continents since the 1960s. The currency was born in 1999, after years of hard negotiations and much opposition from the United Kingdom. However, actual notes and coins were not in circulation until 2002. The euro has quickly taken over European Union countries one after the other, and its reach is expanding with the increasing number of EU members. It is used by approximately 334 million Europeans daily in Austria, Belgium. Cyprus, Estonia. Finland, France. Germany. Greece. Ireland. Malta. The Netherlands. Portugal. Slovakia. Slovenia.

This is the ideal day to learn more about Europe. You can learn a lot about European culture by doing a variety of things. While all the mentioned countries may use the same currency (although they do have their own unique currency), each country has its own history, culture, customs, and cuisine.

Europe produces many films that are different than Hollywood’s. The Spanish drama “Hable con Ella” (“Talk to Her”) is a great way to get started with European cinema. It was directed and written by Pedro Almodovar, a highly respected Spanish director. This movie won the 2002 Academy Award for Screenplay Directly for Screen and the 2003 Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film. You might prefer scary films like Sweden’s Lat den Ratte Komma In (Let the Right One In), which is a 2008 romantic horror movie about a boy who is saved from bullying by a strange girl who he falls in love with and who later turns out to be an evil vampire. This movie won multiple awards, including the “Best European Fantastic Feature Film Award”.

Find a European recipe you are interested in and spend an afternoon or evening cooking it. Make delicious Greek pitas with lamb, paired with tzatziki. Or make a huge pot of Swiss fondue.

Whatever your choice, celebrate Euro Day by getting to know European culture better.