In 2015, the Ukrainian Parliament passed the law to memorialize the victory over the Nazism in the Second World War of 1939-1945. According to it, May 8 was established as the Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation; and instead of the old fancy Soviet holiday (“the Victory Day”), celebrated on May 9, the Parliament determined this date as the Day of Victory over the Nazism in WWII.
Since 2015, Ukraine has been marking both dates. The difference between the old Soviet tradition and the modern Ukrainian one is that currently, the key emphasis lies with remembering and honoring victims of the war, not celebrating the victory. The widely accepted symbol of these two memorable dates is a poppy flower.
