User:Presearch/Neighbors Day

(Archived version's [{PUTHERE} English translation])

Neighbours' Day (French: Fête des voisins), also known as Buildings’ Celebration (French: Immeubles en fête), is a holiday which originated in France. According to its original organizers, the holiday's goal is to bring neighbors together to meet in a convivial way so as to break down feelings of isolation - feelings which, according to the holiday's organizers, are taking over towns and cities. The holiday's goal is also to create a sense of neighborhood belonging. From a sociological perspective, Neighbors' Day can be understood as an "invented tradition".

Neighbors' Day history or events have received much coverage in French media that include Le Figaro, Le Parisien, La Nouvelle République, Le Télégramme, (English translation) Ouest-France, (English translation) La Dépêche, (English translation) Vosges Matin, (English translation) Midi Libre, (English translation) La Montagne, (English translation) France 3, and others.

Origins
Neighbors' Day as a holiday was first organized through the initiative of Atanase Périfan, then a young elected mayor of the 17th Arrondissement (district) of Paris, who launched the annual observance in 1999 at his home in the district at 17 rue Vernier. In 2019, a commemorative plaque was placed at the site of this first observance of Neighbors' Day (see image).{REF?} The observance was launched with the service organization{{NEEDS CITATION} he created a few years earlier, Paris d’Amis.

Since 2000, The Association of French Mayors, then the social landlords (HLM (social welfare for housing) programs) have both drawn upon this initiative, helped spread it across all of France. From 2000 to 2009, Neighbors' Day was celebrated annually on the last Tuesday of May. Since 2010, it has been celebrated on the Last Friday of May or the First Friday of June.

In 2008, after the creation of Neighbors in Solidarity (Voisins solidaires) at the end of 2007, Neighbors' Day became one of the organization’s programs.

Some commercial sponsors also collaborate with the organizing of the festival. In 2019, the 20th year of Neighbors' Day brought together 30 million people in 50 countries. 4

Influence
Celebration of Neighbors' Day expanded beyond France into Belgium and 10 European towns in 2003. and then with the organizing of the European Neighbors' Day (French: Journée européenne des voisins), which takes place in more than 150 towns in Europe, and even beyond to include Canada, Turkey, and Azerbaijan. In total, 36 countries in the world participate. Since 2009, it has been supported by the European Parliament.

In Belgium, Neighbors' Day has been celebrated in Brussels.

In Canada, Neighbors' Day has been celebrated in Châteauguay.

In Togo, Neighbors Day was first celebrated in 2010, and had been celebrated in Lomé or other localities in Togo every year through 2019.

Offshoots
Neighbors' Day has been cited as an influence on the initiation of various other movements or programs to encourage civic engagement. For example, in 2012, "Building on the success of Neighbors' Day and its national Network" (Forte du succès de la Fête des voisins, et de son maillage national), an initiative supported by the French Ministry of Solidarity and National Cohesion (a merger of the former ministries of labor and health) launched the "Sick Neighbor" (un voisin malade) initiative, encouraging people to help their neighbors in illness or other need. In another example, in 2022 the French town of Saint-Jean-de-Védas launched "The Civic Hour", inviting the town's inhabitants to give one hour each month to their neighborhood, citing the inspiration of Neighbors' Day, and viewing it as an opportunity to "re-enchant solidarity".

Growth
Le Figaro reported that Neighbors' Day was celebrated in 2009 by 9 million people worldwide. Le Parisien reported that Neighbors' Day participation in 2019 was expected to involve 9 million people in France, and 30 million people worldwide, in 50 countries.

Here is a table of Neighbors' Day participants, by year: