VE Day – Friday 8 May 2020

Celebrate VE Day 75 at home

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, community celebrations that were due to take place on the bank holiday weekend (8-10 May) to celebrate the 75^th anniversary of VE Day have had to be cancelled.

Just because these celebrations are no longer taking place doesn’t mean that we can’t all mark this momentous day in other ways from the safety of our own homes.

Whatever your plans, please follow all the government’s guidelines to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives. You can find more advice and local information on Government websites.

Schedule for Friday 8 May the 75^th Anniversary of VE Day:

• A two minutes silence at 11am
• A toast to the nation will take place at 3pm, please raise your own toast by saying the following words “To those who gave so much, we thank you.”
• From 3pm special services will be broadcast and streamed by the BBC and other media.

The Queen’s national address will be broadcast on BBC One at 9pm and people are being encouraged to join the nation in singing the Dame Vera Lynn song ‘We’ll Meet Again’ following this.

How you and your family can join in and celebrate from home

The following ideas and resources have been compiled to help you to hold your own celebrations at home and also to help people to reflect on the enormous sacrifice, courage and determination of people from all walks of life and backgrounds who saw us through.

Ways to join in and celebrate

• Decorate your home and garden – Print out and make bunting
• Take part in the BBC Great British Bunting campaign
• The Cathedrals are organising a Picnic for Hope – https://www.englishcathedrals.co.uk/latest-news/ve-day-picnic-for-hope/
• Print out a poster to colour in
• Make some wartime food here are over 100 recipe ideas to try
• Ideas for how to have a VE Day party at home
• Host your own party at home pack (Spotify Playlist, sing-along, learn the Lindy hop)
• Download the Celebrate at Home Pack from the charity Combat Stress
• Learn to play a specially commissioned tune from this sheet music
• Take part in a live-stream event from the Royal British Legion sharing stories and memories from the Second World War, as well as recognising the difficulties people are experiencing today.

Discover and share your history

• Explore the Imperial War Museum
• Explore The National Archives
• Explore The National Army Museum
• The Ancestry website is offering free searches – free 4^th – 10 May
• Read about participants from the Indian subcontinent in the Second World War
• Read about Caribbean participants in the Second World War
• Read about African participants in the Second World War

Ideas for children

• Take part in Dan Snow’s creative challenge to think about how you would tell the story of VE Day today
• Listen to Katy Parker and The House That Cried read by author Margaret Mulligan, a story set in WW2 for families with children from 9 to 12 years. Text and activity sheets to accompany the story.
• In the spirit of make-do-and-mend you could make bunting from old clothes, magazines, scrap paper or cardboard to decorate your windows / fence / door / kitchen
• Learn and sing some WW2 songs to sing Pack up your troubles, We’ll meet again
• Royal British Legion has developed teaching resources for Key stage 2 & 3 and for home schooling