75th Anniversary of VE Day

This year marks the 75th anniversary of VE Day, a day which celebrates the end of World War II. More than one million people celebrated in the streets throughout Great Britain in 1945 to mark the end of the war. Princess Elizabeth, who is now our Queen, and her sister Princess Margaret, wandered amongst the crows and joined in with the celebrations, hidden in plain sight. Elizabeth wore her Auxiliary Transport Service uniform, which she owned from doing National Service.

The Allies had originally decided on the 9^th May 1945 as the date to mark VE Day, however journalists in the West broke the news that the war was ending early. As the public now knew that things were drawing to a close, the celebration was brought forward a day. That’s why we now celebrate on the 8^th of May every year.

In many countries, VE Day is a bank holiday. Due to the May Day Bank Holiday, VE Day in Britain isn’t usually a bank holiday as the days fall too close. However, this year’s special anniversary has meant that our May Day Bank Holiday has been moved to VE Day, to make sure that as many people as possible could celebrate and honour those who served. Although the celebrations may not be as planned, there are plenty of ways we can celebrate from our own homes. At 3pm, it’s planned that we all take to our doorsteps to raise a glass and cheer during The Nation's Toast to the Heroes of World War Two.

Are you planning a Street party this Friday to mark the 75th anniversary of VE day? While we may not be able to party in the middle of the street, people around the country are being encouraged to decorate the outside of their homes in red, white and blue bunting and flags to mark the occasion and to hold small celebrations in the gardens or on a doorstep with your household. These may not be street parties in the traditional sense but that doesn’t mean you can’t come together to celebrate from a safe distance. You can even use video chatting platforms like Skype and Facebook Messenger to celebrate with your friends and family so that you don’t miss out on that sense of community spirit.

Why not use this day to make bunting together as a family? There are plenty of guides online, whether you want to use the time to teach your children to sew, or you want something without the sewing but just as fun. A little bit of fabric and some cardboard is all you need to decorate the house.

If you are planning on joining in we would love to see your pictures and share them within our community. You can email them to Lynda Phillips at PhillipsL101@hwbcymru.net