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.
1. 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.
2. 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!
3. 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”.
4. Share experiences
Join the British
Legion in their 45-minute live stream 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.
5. 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.