May 8th - La Fête de la Victoire is a political holiday.
Every city, town and village in France has a “monument aux morts” where there is a list of names of those citizens who lost their lives during World War II. The French celebrate victory over the Germans with a ceremony at the monument by placing bouquets of flowers on it and making speeches. They also sing patriotic songs and display the French national flag on their homes and public buildings. The mood on WWII Victory Day is generally joyous but people may also make time to remember family members or others who died during World War II. In the past, World War II veterans played an important role in the celebrations but many of them are now older and some are unable to perform a public role.
Schools, colleges and universities spend the period before May 8 focusing on the history of the Nazi oppression and World War II. Lessons ensure that all generations know what happened during the war and why it is important to preserve everyone’s rights in modern society.
The French national flag, or tricolor, is an important symbol of WWII Victory Day. It is one-and-a-half times as wide as it is tall and consists of three vertical bands colored blue, white and red. The bands are all the same width. The same colors are displayed in bunting and banners of many shapes on WWII Victory Day.
Flags of all European nations and the European flag are also displayed at some ceremonies. These emphasize the lasting peace and unity in Europe since the end of World War II.
(Information from timeanddate.com)
