For the French Foreign Legion, seen as a traditional pro-Catholic institution in France (unlike the rest of the French Army), Christmas Eve marks the second most important holiday. To celebrate it, legionnaires in all units of the Foreign Legion – regardless of their origin and religious – create nativity scenes (crèches) every year and compete to see which one is the nicest and most original. The scenes can be small, static ones, or performed live with hand-made scenery. This long-standing Legion tradition is unique within the French Army. If you are interested, see some of the nativity scenes created by legionnaires in December 2023.
1er REG, 2e REG: 2023 Saint Barbara Day
In early December 2023, French Foreign Legion combat engineers with the 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment (1er REG) and the 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment (2e REG) commemorated once again their patron, Saint Barbara (Sainte Barbe in French).
Foreign Legion: 2023 Armistice Day
In most English-speaking countries, November 11 is known as Veterans Day or Remembrance Day, honoring military veterans and those who have died in the line of duty. In France, this day is still known as Armistice Day, in memory of the 1918 armistice signed between the Allies and Germany that ended World War I. Since 2012, all those who died for France have also been commemorated during Armistice Day. The French Foreign Legion participates annually in those ceremonies. See images.
2e REG: 2023 Training in California
In October 2023, legionnaires from the 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment (2e REG) participate in a mountain warfare training exercise in California, United States.
2e REG: 2023 French Guiana
In early June 2023, men from the French Foreign Legion’s 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment (2e REG) started their four-month deployment to French Guiana, South America. They will reinforce French troops there.
Foreign Legion: 2023 Camerone Day
The 30th of April 2023 marked the 160th anniversary of the 1863 Battle of Camerone, an epic moment in the history of the French Foreign Legion in which its 65 men faced some 2,000 Mexican adversaries. The famous battle is portrayed as a pure example of bravery and the determination to fight to the finish, and gave the Legion its character and esprit de corps. Therefore, Camerone Day became the most important holiday for all current or former members of this exceptional military unit. See 2023 Camerone Day pictures from several Legion regiments.
2022 Legion Christmas nativity scenes
Christmas Eve marks the second most important holiday within the French Foreign Legion, traditionally a pro-Catholic institution. Thus, for that day, legionnaires in all units of the Legion create original nativity scenes and compete to see which one is the nicest and most original. This Legion tradition is unique within the French Army.
2e REG: 2022 Saint Barbara Day
On December 8, 2022, the men of the 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment (2e REG) celebrated 2022 Saint Barbara Day, their holiday. Saint Barbara (Sainte-Barbe in French) is known as the patron saint of French military engineers and firefighters.
2e REG: 2022 Mission Lynx in Estonia
Legionnaires of the French Foreign Legion’s 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment (2e REG) are currently deployed to Estonia, a Baltic state in Northern Europe, for four months. They serve there as part of NATO’s Baltic enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) to protect and reassure NATO’s member state of its security.
1er RE, 2e REG: 2022 Bastille Day Military Parade in Marseille
See images from Marseille, Southern France, from July 14, 2022, when a Foreign Legion detachment paraded there. It consisted of elements provided by the same two regiments that also took part in the 2022 Bastille Day Military Parade in Paris on the same day: the 1st Foreign Regiment (1er RE) and the 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment (2e REG).
Read more1er RE, 2e REG: 2022 Bastille Day Military Parade in Marseille
2022 Bastille Day Military Parade
The 14th of July marks the French national day, Bastille Day. As usual, a large military parade took place in Paris to celebrate that most important holiday. As every year, the French Foreign Legion participated. See images.