Editing Esperanto (section)

=== Symbols and flags ===
{{Main|Esperanto symbols}}

{{multiple image
| align     = right
| header    = Esperanto symbols
| direction = vertical
| width     = 150
| image1    = Flag of Esperanto.svg
| caption1  = The flag of Esperanto
| image2    = Esperanto star.svg
| caption2  = The {{lang|eo|verda stelo}}
| image3    = Jubilea simbolo.svg
| caption3  = The {{lang|eo|[[Esperanto jubilee symbol|jubilea simbolo]]}}
}}

The earliest flag, and the one most commonly used today, features a green five-pointed star against a white [[canton (flag)|canton]], upon a field of green. It was proposed to Zamenhof by [[Richard H. Geoghegan|Richard Geoghegan]], author of the first Esperanto textbook for English speakers, in 1887. The flag was approved in 1905 by delegates to the first conference of Esperantists at Boulogne-sur-Mer.

The green star on white (''{{lang|eo|la verda stelo}}'') is also used by itself as a round (buttonhole, etc.) emblem by many esperantists, among other reasons to enhance their visibility outside the Esperanto world.

A version with an ''E'' superimposed over the green star is sometimes seen.
Other variants include that for Christian Esperantists, with a white [[Christian cross]] superimposed upon the green star, and that for Leftists, with [[Red flag (politics)|the color of the field changed from green to red]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://flagspot.net/flags/qy-eo.html|title=Flags of Esperanto|publisher=Flagspot.net|access-date=January 14, 2015|archive-date=February 20, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150220034212/https://flagspot.net/flags/qy-eo.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1987, a second flag design was chosen in a contest organized by the UEA celebrating the first centennial of the language.
It featured a white background with two stylised curved "E"s facing each other.
Dubbed the {{lang|eo|jubilea simbolo}} ([[Esperanto jubilee symbol|jubilee symbol]]),<ref>{{cite web|title=Esperanto flag: The jubilee symbol|url=https://www.fotw.info/flags/qy-eo.html#jub|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070831011723/https://www.fotw.info/flags/qy-eo.html#jub|archive-date=2007-08-31|access-date=December 5, 2010|website=Flags of the World}}</ref> it attracted criticism from some Esperantists, who dubbed it the {{lang|eo|melono}} (melon) for its elliptical shape.
It is still in use, though to a lesser degree than the traditional symbol, known as the {{lang|eo|verda stelo}} (green star).<ref>{{cite web|title=Esperanto flag|url=https://www.fotw.info/flags/qy-eo.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070831011723/https://www.fotw.info/flags/qy-eo.html|archive-date=2007-08-31|access-date=December 5, 2010|website=Flags of the World}}</ref>