12 golden stars for Europe's unity and solidarity

Do you know what the 12 golden stars on the European flag stand for? You are correct if you say that the circle symbolises unity, but wrong if you say that the stars represent the number of the countries. 

12 golden stars on a blue background stands for the ideals of unity, solidarity and harmony among the peoples of Europe. The European flag symbolises both the European Union and, more broadly, the identity and unity of Europe.

30th anniversary of the EU flag

The story of the EU flag starts in 1955 when the Council of Europe started to use this image of the flag as we know it now. But it was in 1983 that the European Parliament decided that the same flag should be used to represent the European Communities.

Two years later it became the official emblem of the European Communities and today we mark its 30th anniversary.

By the way, did you know that, among the first proposals for the common flag, there were for example also 15 green squares on a cream background, a variation of the US stars and stripes, a quasi-Olympic circle and a design using national flags with a tiger?