Veterans Day ( no, Veterandagen) in

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

on May 8 was first observed in 2011. It recognizes the efforts of veterans of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

United Nations peacekeeping Peacekeeping by the United Nations is a role held by the Department of Peace Operations as an "instrument developed by the organization as a way to help countries torn by conflict to create the conditions for lasting peace". It is distinguished ...

initiatives and other international operations. It was instituted in 2010 by Norway's Cabinet and falls on

Victory in Europe Day Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Europe in the Easter ...

, May 8. The choice of day has been criticized by

Bjørnar Moxnes Bjørnar Moxnes (born 19 December 1981) is a Norwegian politician and activist representing the left-wing political party Rødt in Stortinget. Moxnes opposes the European Union, characterizing Norway's participation in the EEA as undemocratic. Mo ...

, leader of political party

Rødt The Red Party ( nb, Rødt; nn, Raudt; sme, Ruoksat) is a political party in Norway. It was founded in March 2007 by a merger of the Red Electoral Alliance and the Workers' Communist Party. A Marxist party, it has been described as left-wing ...

, saying one must differentiate between a defensive fight against an occupation force and offensive military operations outside Norway. The Norges Forsvarsforening (NFF) orwegian Defence Associationwants a debate about the "form and content" of the day.

Notes

Public holidays in Norway May observances Recurring events established in 2010

Norway in World War II {{Holiday-stub no:Veterandagen da:Veterandagen

See also

Notes