EUROPEAN TRADITIONS AND FESTIVALS
First of all, May 1st is a traditional custom. The night between April 30th and May 1st, people used to plant a tree on the village main square.
At the same time, groups of young people, holding decorated baskets and bunches of flowers, walked around the village streets and played the fife and drums to celebrate the new month. The members of that happy crowd stopped at each house and begged for victuals, mainly cakes and drinks.
The gifts of May were always composed of eggs, dried fruit and biscuits.Later in the night, the youngsters made omelettes, pancakes...etc...with these ingredients.
This traditional May festival still takes place in some of our villages.
Translated by: Maryline BORDEL, Audrey FRADEL, Vanessa GEORGES, Amandine GAGNAIRE, Emilie POYET.
May Day
In 1884, in Chicago, after the fifth trade union congress, it was decided that from the first of May 1886 on, people would work 8 hours a day.
From 1886 to 1889, there were a lot of strikes in the USA on the first of May. In 1889, the international socialistcogress of Parisadopted the first of May as the national workers'day, and allowed 8 hour demonstrations. They did indeed go on in Paris and in 138 other towns all over France. In 1906, In Paris, a very violent riot took place, caused many casualties and 800 people were arrested.
May Day eventually became a bank holiday in 1941.
Nowadays, on that occasion, factories and offices are closed, newspapers are not published, trade unionists meet and organize great marches in our major towns.
Translated by: Patricia PELLAUD, Carole PANSIER, Elisabeth THOLLOT, Rebecca DUMAS, Marie BRETON
In 1945,with the extraordinary military means at his disposal, helped by the French resistance, General Eisenhower orderedhis armours to attack Germany after liberating France. The great number of offensives aiming at the East and the West brought about the surrender of the Reich. On May 7th 1945, Germany capitulated in Reims; on the following day, in Berlin, Germans ratified their surrender without condition and once more, admitted their defeat.
Since then, May 8th has been a bank holiday in memory of the brave French soldiers.
Translated by: Marlene DREVET, Julie LEMET, Marie DI ROLLO, Alexandra CLAIRET, Lydie THOMAT
In 1789 France was, symbol of the nobility upside down: farmers and the middle class were fed up with the Old Regime which granted too many privileges to the nobility and the clergy. On July 14th 1789, the crowd marched to La Bastille; indeed, in that very jail were kept the people thought dangerous for the monarchy. Bewildered by the popular mass threat, the governor ordered to open the drawbridge. A mad rush followed and the governor was killed.
The symbol of the royal power was then destroyed, it was the French Revolution. In 1880, to commemorate the "Prise de la Bastille", the French government stated that July 14th was to become one of our French historic festivals.
The first military parade down the Champs Elysees took place in 1915 to celebrate the transfer to the Invalides of Rouget de l'Isle's ashes; he had composed our national anthem, La Marseillaise.
The longest parade was to celebrate the war victory in 1919.
Nowadays, every year, the national Air Force fly over tha Arc de Triomphe; firework shows and popular balls are organized all over the country.
Caroline PRESLES, Charlotte MULLER, Gregory FONT, Sébastien ARNAUD, Eric RIVOIRE.
On November 11th 1918, at 11 a.m., at Rethondes in the Compiegne forest, was signed the armistice which put an end to the first world war. That day all the bells of Paris pealed the good news.
It all started when, in August 1914, a territorial conflict between Germany and France triggered the war; then from one alliance to another, the conflict took worldwide proprotions. During the weeks following the Armistice, general rejoicing took over the whole country.
So it was decided that November 11th would be a national festival, it then became a bank holiday. Every year, town representatives and war veterans lay huge wreaths on our war memorials. The President lays a spray of flowers on the tomb of the unknown soldier, which is situated under the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
Carine VILLE, Sylvia VILLENEUVE, Claire MOULD, Celine BUTIN, Valerie DUMAS.
