La Fete De La Victoire: French Celebration Of WWII Victory In Europe

The end of World War II, also known as Victory Day in Europe, is celebrated as a national holiday on May 8 every year in at least seven countries in Europe. In France, the celebration is called "La Fete de la Victoire".

It will be recalled that it was on May 8, 1945 when Charles de Gaulle, then leader of the Forces Francaises Libres (FFL), announced the end of the Second World War in France. This announcement was made a day after the unconditional surrender of the forces of Nazi Germany was accepted by the Allies. It is fitting that France observes this momentous event every year, especially since it was in the city of Reims where the act of military surrender was signed.

How does France celebrate La Fete De La Victoire? First of all, since it is a public holiday, most business establishments are closed on this day; so are banks and post offices. Except on tourist areas, cafes, restaurants, and stores may also be closed. One may find some stores open on this day along main direct roads, at railway stations, or at airports. Those planning to spend the holiday in Paris will find many stores open there on this day.

Also note that roads, particularly those in the center of cities or towns, may be closed for parades. And depending on where one resides and intends to travel, schedules of public transport service may differ from those of ordinary days.

During the entire week preceding May 8, all educational institutions incorporate special lessons in their classes, which focus on the history of the Second World War and the oppressive acts committed by Nazi Germany against the French people. Through these lessons, every succeeding generation will be informed of the events that took place during the war and will have a better understanding of the importance of preserving the rights of every human being.

La Fete de la Victoire is an occasion for the French people to attend church services and parades, and sing patriotic songs in parks and streets, foremost of which, of course, is the French national anthem "La Marseillaise". On this day, too, one will find the Tricolore (the national flag of France) prominently displayed on every home and public building.

The flag, of course, is the most important symbol in any country, signifying that country's independence. To describe the French national flag, it is fifty percent wider than its height and has three colored bands (blue/white/red) of equal width. In some ceremonies, the flag and emblem of the European Union is also displayed to emphasize that all countries in Europe are united in peace.

While the prevailing mood during this special day is one of merriment, many people likewise use the occasion to remember family members, friends, or other people they know who had been victims of or died during the war. French veterans of the war, who may still be physically capable of rendering public service on this day, do so as part of the celebrations.

La Chandeleur: French Celebration Of Candlemas

The Roman Catholic Church celebrates February 2 each year as Candlemas. This celebration is a commemoration of the Blessed Virgin Mary's purification and the presentation of the baby Jesus at the temple. The feast is also called by other names: "Feast of the Presentation of Jesus," "Meeting of the Lord," and "Feast of the Purification of the Virgin."

France, being a predominantly Roman Catholic country, also observes this feast on February 2, which is forty days after Christmas. There are three French terms for the occasion: "Jour des crêpes" (crêpes have real signification in this occasion), "Fête de la Lumière" (different from the Festival of Lights in Lyon), and "La Chandeleur" (the most commonly used of the three terms).

The term "Candlemas" was derived from the Latin ritual of lighting candles at midnight to symbolize purification. The original event involved the observance of the Holy Family (Joseph, the Virgin Mary, and the baby Jesus) of the rite as described in Chapters 21 to 24 of the Second Book of Luke. In part, the rite required that a mother must present her firstborn boy to the Lord forty days after birth. An offering of two doves must accompany the presentation.

The French celebration of La Chandeleur as a commemoration of the purification of the Virgin Mary first occurred in 1372. The term "Fête de la Lumière" refers to the lighting of blessed candles as a form of remembering Jesus Christ who is the "Light of the World." This lighting of blessed candles at homes for protection continues to this day in France.

In relation to why La Chandeleur is also called Jour des crêpes, the French pray for good harvest and prosperity for every home and family. All excess flour is used to make crêpes. These pancakes are a symbol of prosperity in France. Farmers believe that wheat will grow better if many crêpes are made. Turning the celebration into a sort of revelry, children engage in crêpe-throwing games during this day.

One of the French traditions during La Chandeleur goes this way: People clutch a coin in the hand which they use for writing; with the other hand, they hold a pan with a crêpe in it. They toss the crêpe in the air and try to catch it back into the pan. If they're successful, they wrap the coin with the crêpe. This is then brought in the bedroom and placed on top of the cupboard. The way by which this is done is similar to a procession, with the participation of all members of the family. The following year, the coin is given to the poor. This entire ritual is believed to bring good fortune and prosperity to the family for the whole year.

Fortune telling, while making crêpes, is also a tradition during La Chandeleur. In addition, French proverbs pertaining to the occasion come out prominently during this day. Some examples are given below:

• "On la Chandeleur, the day grows by two hours."

• "On la Chandeleur, winter comes to an end or becomes stronger."

• "On la Chandeleur, everything is covered with snow and forty days are lost."

Crêpes certainly are an important part of the French celebration of Candlemas. One reason for this is that crêpes, to the French, symbolize the sun, which seems to be absent in their lives during this time of the year.

International Day Of Francophonie

...A Gathering Of French-Speaking People From Around The World

The International Day of Francophonie is celebrated every year on March 20. On this day, Francophones from around the world get together as a way of celebrating that "something" that is common to them - the French language.

The inaugural International Day of Francophonie was held in 1998, although the Francophonie organization was actually established 28 years earlier. The organization has its headquarters in Paris, France.

The term "Francophonie" refers to specific areas in the world in which French is spoken. It was coined in 1880 by Onésime Reclus, a French essayist and geographer. The term "Francophone", on the other hand, refers to a person who speaks French. When not capitalized, the term is a descriptive word, such as in "franchophone region".

Currently, the organization is headed (as Executive Secretary) by Abdou Diouf, who served as the second President of Senegal from 1981 to 2000. It has 56 member states, 21 of which were original members (i.e., countries that joined the organization in 1970). These are France, Belgium, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Canada, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Gabon, Haiti, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Monaco, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Togo, Tunisia, and Vietnam.

Within the next 10 years, 12 more states, communities, or colonies joined the organization as members. These are the French Community of Belgium, New Brunswick, Quebec, Central African Republic, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Guinea-Bissau, Lebanon, Seychelles, and Vanuatu.

The rest of the member states today include Albania, Andorra, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Macedonia, Greece, Guinea, Laos, Moldova, Morocco, Romania, Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, and Switzerland.

The organization has three associate members: Armenia, Cyprus, and Ghana. Fourteen countries, meanwhile, are assigned as observers. These are Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Mozambique, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Thailand, and Ukraine.

Other countries with French-speaking regions, but are not members of the organization, are Algeria, Guernsey, India, Italy, Israel, Jersey, Mexico, Syria, and the United Kingdom. In the United States, French is spoken in four states: Louisiana, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. All these areas certainly are considered francophone regions.

It is estimated that there are over 150 million Francophones, more than half of whom live outside France. Understandably because of this, French is a very important language in the world. To emphasize this, French is extensively used in prominent international gatherings as the Olympics, the United Nations, and the European Union.

Through the International Day of Francophonie, French-speaking people from different parts of the world are able to interact, bringing into the meeting diverse traditions and cultural differences. Such instance promotes a culture of tolerance, which, sadly, is lacking in many parts of the world.

Today, the Francophonie organization has several branches that oversee and coordinate activities between and among member states in areas of concern that go beyond the French language and culture. Such areas include worldwide concerns on the economy, science, peace, justice, democracy, human rights, and the environment.

The International Day of Francophonie carries the slogan "Egalité, Complémentarité, Solidarité. This translates to "Equality, Complementarity, Solidarity.

How Easter (Pâques) Is Celebrated In France

In countries where the predominant religion is Roman Catholicism, no other celebration is perhaps more important than Easter. In France, for instance, where about ninety percent of the people are Roman Catholics, Easter is celebrated with great joy to commemorate the resurrection of Christ.

The celebration of Easter, or Pâques, in France actually begins on the Thursday prior to Good Friday (called Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday). On this day, no peals of church bells are heard in observance of Christ's death. On Easter morning, church bells come to life once more to celebrate the Resurrection. Every city, town and village in France has a church, so the ringing of bells on Easter morning can be heard almost everywhere. The joyful significance of Pâques is especially evident when people kiss each other the moment they hear the ringing of church bells.

The morning of Pâques finds children waking up in glee, anticipating to find as much of "les oeufs de Pâques" (Easter eggs) as they can, which were hidden in playgrounds, gardens, or right inside homes a day or two before this day. Children are told by their parents of the connection between the church bells that are silent on Maundy Thursday, their ringing again on Easter morning, and the sudden appearance of Easter eggs.

The story, as children are made to believe, goes this way: On Maundy Thursday, the chimes of church bells fly to Rome to pay visit to the Pope. They return on Easter morning joyfully ringing to signify their happiness for having seen the Pope. In their desire to share their joy to people, especially to children, they brought with them many beautifully colored eggs as gifts. Some children can get luckier than others - they uncover small chariots, pulled by little white horses, filled with multicolored eggs.

Traditional games played by French kids during Easter involve the use of raw eggs. In one game, children roll their eggs down a slope. The one whose egg survives the roll, or does not break or crack, is the winner. This particular game symbolizes the rolling away of the stone from the tomb of Jesus.

Although most shops are closed in France during holidays, confiseries, or candy shops, are open on Easter to provide delight to people who, regardless of age, feel so much joy just seeing candies and chocolates of all sizes, shapes, and designs. French chocolatiers take pride in their work that they put in so much time and effort to come up with delightful goodies. The results are items that appear more like works of art rather than foods. Everyone in France is sure to enjoy this aspect of Pâques because there is not one village there without a confiserie.

The Easter holidays in France actually fall within the fourth of five sets of school holidays, which is called the printemps, or spring, break. During this period, schools are closed for fifteen days, beginning on Maundy Thursday. Hence, Pâques is an opportunity for French families to be together, whether just at home or on short trips.

Great Parks In France To Be At During The Holidays

France has eleven public holidays (not counting Easter and Pentecost, both of which of course fall on a Sunday), five sets of school breaks, and a lengthy summer vacation. Any of these is an opportunity for people to relax and enjoy the company of family members and close friends.

A great way for completely enjoying the holidays in France is to leave the comfort of your homes and go on a long trip to some scenic destinations. Some of the country's national parks can be good choices for such a holiday adventure. Here are five of them:

Parc national des Pyrénées:

The Pyrénées National Park is a 457-square kilometer national park located within the departments of Pyrénées-Atlantiques and Hautes-Pyrénées in the southwestern part of France. Its creation was completed on March 23, 1967. The park is famous for its mountainous landscape, making it ideal for skiing, hiking, and, of course, mountain climbing. For those with special interest in wildlife, some seventy different species of animals can be observed roaming the park freely.

Parc national des Cévennes:

The Cévennes National Park is a 913-square kilometer national park located within the departments of Gard and Lozère in southern France. It was opened to visitors on September 2, 1970. The park includes two features which are mainly the reasons why this park is one of the most visited tourist destinations in France. These are the Aven Armand cave and the Arboretum de Cazebonne. The latter has a number of exotic trees and several hiking paths.

Parc national des Écrins:

The Écrins National Park is a 918-square kilometer national park located in the southeastern part of the country. It was opened to visitors on March 27, 1973. The park is famous for a number of features, including glacier fields, high mountain peaks, and alpine pastures. More than half a million tourists from around the world visit the park every year.

Parc national de la Vanoise:

The Vanoise National Park is a 1,250-square kilometer national park located in the Alps. It was completed and opened to visitors on July 6, 1963. Some of the villages adjacent to the park include Champagny-le-Bas, La Cuaz, and La Chiserette. Large ski resorts, including Tignes, Les Arcs, and Les Trois Vallées, border the park.

Parc national du Mercantour:

The Mercantour National Park is a 685-square kilometer national park located within the departments of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Alpes-Maritimes. It was opened to visitors on August 18, 1979. The park consists of twenty-eight villages and seven uninhabited valleys, namely Bévéra, Haut Var/Cians, Roya, Tinée, Ubaye, Verdon, and Vésubie. The park's great flora and fauna make it really ideal for relaxation.

In addition to these, there are about fifty regional natural parks in France, each of which is an equally great vacation place during the holidays. Ten of these are mentioned here: Parc naturel régional Scarpe-Escaut, Parc naturel régional de Brière, Parc naturel régional de la Forêt d'Orient, Parc naturel régional des Grands Causses, Parc naturel régional de Millevaches en Limousin, Parc naturel régional de la Narbonnaise en Méditerranée, Parc naturel régional Périgord Limousin, Parc naturel régional de la Brenne, Parc naturel régional du Haut-Jura, and Parc naturel régional du Luberon.