Victory Day in Guadeloupe

A national holiday in Guadeloupe

The French Labour Code lists 8 May among the legal public holidays, and the date applies in Guadeloupe as part of France. The island also has its own additional public holiday for the commemoration of the abolition of slavery, observed on 27 May.[1][2]

A public holiday does not automatically mean every private-sector employee has the day off. For holidays other than 1 May, the applicable collective agreement or, if there is none, the employer determines which days are not worked. If a holiday falls on an employee’s usual rest day, there is no automatic extra day off unless more favourable rules apply.[2]

What Victory Day remembers

The date recalls the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany in Berlin on 8 May 1945. That surrender confirmed the Allies’ military victory in Europe and the defeat of Nazism, but it did not end the Second World War in Asia, where fighting continued until September.[3][4]

The commemoration was established in law after the war. The 1946 law set an annual commemoration of victory, and the Labour Code now lists 8 May as a public holiday. In Guadeloupe, this is part of the shared French national commemoration, distinct from the island’s separate remembrance of slavery’s abolition.[1][2][3]

How it is observed locally

Public remembrance ceremonies are held in Guadeloupe. A prefecture notice records ceremonies at Place de la Victoire in Pointe-à-Pitre and at Champ d’Arbaud in Basse-Terre, with tributes to combatants and civilians affected by the war.[5]

The documented observance centres on remembrance. Check local information for food traditions, public festivals or observances in each commune.[3][5]

Planning your day

Because 8 May is a public holiday, opening hours differ from an ordinary weekday. Private businesses can decide whether the day is worked under the applicable employment rules, so shops and services vary. Check directly with any office, bank, shop or transport operator you plan to use.[1][2]