WWII Victory Day (la fête de la victoire,
le jour de la libération) is a holiday to celebrate the end of World War II and
the French people's freedom. It is the anniversary of when Charles de Gaulle
announced the end of World War II in France on May 8, 1945.
Today, WWII Victory Day, is a public
holiday in France so post offices, banks, schools and many businesses are
closed.
Many people attend parades and church
services on May 8 each year to celebrate the end of World War II and the
freedom of France from Nazi oppression. 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.
Back on May 8, 1945 Charles de Gaulle, the
leader of the Free French Forces, announced the official end of World War II.
Church bells rang to communicate and celebrate this message. It marked the end
of a six-year war and the Nazi oppression in France, which resulted in millions
of deaths.
May 8 and 9, 1945, were joyous days but it
took some time for WWII Victory Day to become established as a day of
celebration and a public holiday.
It wasn’t until April 1, 1965, the
government announced that May 8, 1965, would be a special holiday to celebrate
the 20th anniversary of the end of World War II. This public holiday was only
observed once, in 1965 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the end
of WWII.
In 1975 the French President decided that
there should be no official or national commemoration of the end of World War
II. Many veterans protested against this decision and continued to commemorate
WWII Victory Day locally on May 8.
On October 2, 1981, WWII Victory Day became
a public holiday. After much public debate, it also became an official national
holiday in 1982.
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