This year, VE Day will coincide with the early May Day bank holiday, making it the perfect time to get together with your household for a celebration. The UK may be in lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still have a weekend of celebrations to mark this special moment in history. Today at St Mark’s we had a VE Day picnic.
What does VE Day stand for?
VE Day, which stands for Victory in Europe Day, was the day on which allied forces announced the surrender of Germany in Europe on May 8th, 1945.
Why do we celebrate VE Day?
VE Day marked the end of World War 2 – and in turn, the end of Adolf Hitler’s reign. As such, it was a cause for celebration all over the world. At 3pm that day, Prime Minister Winston Churchill told the nation that the war was over. In London, a crowd of 50,000 celebrated the momentous event in Piccadilly Circus, cheering and waving flags in the street. This year is particularly poignant, given that it’s the 75th anniversary of VE Day. Perhaps take a moment to teach your children about VE Day if at home, ahead of the long weekend.
Martha Braithwaite