On 8 May 2020, we mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day, or Victory in Europe Day, when Nazi Germany formally surrendered, marking the end of the second world war. Across the UK, plans for large public celebrations have been cancelled because of the coronavirus, but that isn’t stopping the nation from finding other ways to celebrate.
Here are 5 ways you can celebrate VE Day from home.
- Decorate your home and garden
Join in with millions of people across the country by decorating your home and garden with bunting, flags, balloons, streamers and other VE Day themed decorations. Why not celebrate the spirit of VE Day by making your own? Baker Ross have free downloadable VE Day bunting designs that you can print and colour in – a great way to get the whole family involved.
- Throw a party at home
Even in lockdown, you can still throw a VE Day party from the safety of your home. English Heritage have created a VE Day at Home pack which is free to download and contains recipes for authentic 1940s dishes, a VE Day poster that you can print and display, lyrics to popular 1940s songs and even tips for how to dance the Lindy hop!
- Remember those who were part of the war effort
Did any of your family and friends contribute to the war effort? As well celebrating the day that marked the end of the second world war, take some time to remember all those who participated. If you have friends or family still alive that lived through the second world war, take the opportunity to talk to them and ask them about their lives. For those that are no longer with us, dig out some photos and share stories of their lives. At 11am on 8 May there will be a two-minute silence of remembrance and at 3pm, following BBC1’s broadcast of extracts from Churchill’s victory speech, you can join millions across the UK by raising your glass in a national toast, saying “To those who gave so much, we thank you”.
- Share experiences
Join the British Legion in their 45-minute livestream from 11.15am on 8 May, where they will be bringing together people from the second world war generation and today’s generation to chat about their shared experiences. You will get the chance to hear stories from VE Day veterans as well as discussions about the difficulties people are experiencing in current times.
- Capture special moments with a digital scrapbook
In 1945, many people recorded memories of VE Day in scrapbooks that are still treasured today. You too can capture special memories of your 75th anniversary VE Day celebrations for future generations in a digital scrapbook. Storychest is an easy-to-use app that enables you to capture and store such precious moments to privately share with your family and closest friends. You can easily upload photos, videos and stories of your VE Day celebrations to look back on in days to come. With social distancing measures likely to continue for a while, being able to reflect on shared experiences like this can help you and your loved ones to stay connected.
