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| the mayor and local children lay the Commune's wreath |
Although 8 May 1945 is celebrated throughout France as a street name in pretty much every city, they still have a statutory holiday on 11 November. We decided to participate in the local commemoration event, which went as follows:
Everyone met at the Mairie and followed the veterans (carrying a variety of martial flags) to the cemetery, where there is a cenotaph listing the names of all the natives of Puyloubier who morts pour la France. The veterans' association circulates and hands out stickers with bleuets on them (see picture), which is their equivalent of poppies. At the cemetery we were met by the honour guard (7 active-duty soldiers from the Marseille garrison). There followed some speeches (the mayor, the head of the veteran's association), then wreath-laying, then children from the school read the names of all the local boys who were killed in WWI and WWII.
The cemetery was well-decorated, with fresh flowers adorning most of the graves. If there's one thing the French take seriously, it is the appearance of their cemeteries.
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