VE Day “celebrations”

Vegansrock - will you not be thinking of how your father would have felt when the message came through that thwar in Europe was over?
As a child I was disappointed that there was no VJ Day street party, just an announcement and a renewed feeling of relief from the adults.

I well remember the VE day street party in our little avenue of 12 terraced houses. A huge feeling of relief, a bonfire in the unmetalled road, a piano rolled out, singing and dancing, everyone smiling, flags and bunting from King George VI’s coronation hung from windows. At 5 I thought life would always be like this and that my father and uncles would be home in a week or so!!
Today I’m thinking of how glad they must have been that peace had come at last. My uncle had gone out at 18, To Palestine as mounted cavalry. His early letters said how he found the evening horse lines the best part of his day and talked to his horse as if to a brother or sister.
Soon he and his comrades were in tanks and many died at El Alamein. Today I am not celebrating but commemorating the service and sacrifice of my uncle and countless others. Veterans of WWII are fewer each year. I’ll sit in my front garden and remember them. I shall also having contact with my neighbours.
Whitewavemark2 - when a grandchild, at 10, said war seemed pointless I told her my uncle would have agreed with her.

Sussexborn ?well said ‘ nobody will be forced out onto the streets by a rifle’.....
Those service men and women died in the pursuit of our liberties and freedom.
The small group of houses where I live all have red white and blue bunting, it looks great and neighbours have all been out greeting each other ( social distancing.)

My Dad left the UK in February 1941 aged 24 just 2 weeks after marrying my Mum. He returned home more than 5 years later in March 1946, so obviously didn't take part in the VE day celebrations although my Mum who worked in London throughout the war, did, with relish. They both loved a party and were they here today they'd be out, remembering, but also celebrating. So, I shall be out with the neighbours this afternoon, raising a glass to them and all the others; remembering & celebrating

My Dad would never have a Japanese car. He didn't talk about his time in Burma. My great uncle returned home a walking skeleton after internment in a Japanese camp. Many didn't.

My uncle was a POW held in Japan near Nagasaki. In fact he saw the bomb go off.

Rescued by the Americans and taken aboard a hospital ship to cross the Pacific and then Canada where they were welcomed and celebrated.

He spent the rest of his life as a pacifist.

Will we have a bank holiday on VJ Day though?

I'm not that excited about celebrating VE day either. I just think of my poor grandparents frantic with worry about my dad still in Burma fighting the murderous cruel Japanese. Not sure why the celebrations weren't delayed until all the war was over.

My BIL lived in Berlin during the war and is still traumatised by some of the things he saw.
He was out looking for bread with his mother when the Russians marched into their street, they had to hide in a cellar. I suspect some of his health issues date back to his deprived childhood.
I have friends on FB who see today as a chance for a booze up in the garden with neighbours.

I have never seen a street party in my area of Scotland for any war related event or royal anniversary .Maybe because many here were family of the 51st (Scottish) Division who were basically left to die on the beach at Dunkirk .That'll be the reason or one of them men used to spit on the street if Churchills name was mentioned .
It was a different war for many people ,commemorate dont celebrate

There's going to be a lot of pursed lips and disapproving looks from some people today, judging from some comments. But that's fine, we can each spend the day exactly as we wish; sit and contemplate the occasion or socialise at a safe distance with our neighbours. But I wonder if those who are so disapproving on the 75th Anniversary were similarly disapproving on the 50th anniversary when there were street parties and a national bank holiday?

VE Day is celebrated across Western European states on 8 May, with several countries observing public holidays on the day each year, variously called Victory Over Fascism Day, Liberation Day or simply Victory Day. Russia, Belarus, and Serbia celebrate on 9 May, as do several former Soviet bloc countries. It is a national holiday in France known as 'Victoire 1945' or 'La fête de la victoire' and the day is also celebrated as a holiday in several other countries in Europe.

It has never, ever, been about celebrating war.

What some people don't seem to understand is that it is celebrating peace.

The services that are held annually are to give thanks and to pray for peace.

Commemorating the end of the war in Europe does not mean celebrating war, not in any way. It also doesn't mean that VJ Day is ignored. I remember the 50th anniversary of VJ Day, the father of a friend came back to the town to lead the remnants of his troops in the commemoration. Like everyone else who survived that war and imprisonment, working on the Burma railway, he remained psychologically affected by it. To dismiss his suffering and the suffering of so many by use of words like jingoistic seems cold to me.
I've never been a street party kind of person so that won't change today. We have a few houses and the village shop with bunting and union flags but no feeling of 'celebrating war'.

Oldwoman70

Yes as I mentioned previously, it was a time of great relief and celebration for so many ordinary German people too, as we know from stories told us by our German friends, two in particular who married British soldiers.
One German prisoner of war worked on my aunt's farm and became a family friend.
They hated the Nazis too.

Just heard on the radio that the German government are declaring today a Bank Holiday (initially just in Berlin) to CELEBRATE the end of the Nazi rule

Local radio has this morning been interviewing various people who served, some describing horrendous injuries. Each one was asked whether we should be celebrating today - they all said yes.

I will be observing the 2 minute silence at 11.00 and then, this afternoon, will be joining in the celebrations

callistermon
Perhaps those who dislike the idea of us remembering and expressing gratitude to all those men and women who liberated us would have preferred a different outcome
Can’t you see it’s the very opposite of that it’s BECAUSE I think we should be reflecting remembering and praying for peace that I think we should be concentrating on what we have achieved SINCE our brave men and woman fought so valiantly not crowing over winning and for those that say it’s a time for quiet reflection tell that to the flag waving street party people the very quickest way to start more ill feeling in my opinion

If your friends father had done something they were very ashamed of would you want to throw it in their face, of course not you d want to encourage them to do everything not to repeat it

VE Day in 1945 was very very understandable VE Day in 2020 is completely out of my realm of understanding ...why ?

Now if we had a Peace in Europe day to reflect where we ALL went wrong and to remember our poor relatives and friends who suffered 6 years of torture I would welcome that

Mum aged 101 died this year, and what always struck me when she talked of the war years and VE Day was that there was never anything jingoistic in her language but a determination that it should never happen again.

That for me is the best message for today.

PEACE

annecan surely that’s what November 11th is for I totally agree with remembering the sacrifices made and thanking all those young men and women who fought for right, but to celebrate winning is not nice in my own opinion how would you see it if it was the other way round it feels so wrong to me
elothan I so agree with your thoughts

How I see it these are two totally different days November is about remembering and thanking, this Victory day feels so wrong and is about gloating How much better if we could join with other countries to have a celebration to praise the peace we have had between us for the last 75 years Now that I would love to join in

It seems to me that a lot of people just want an excuse to have some weird kind of social distancing party. Whether many of them are doing it out of love and respect for those who fought in WWII is open to dispute. Not a time for jingoistic nationalism imo. But hey, I’m just a misery.

If we wait to commemorate 100 years there won’t be anyone left who actually lived through it. That was the main reason for choosing this particular year.

Look how some people have struggled with six weeks of fairly humane lockdown so acknowledging the people who lived through far worse isn’t asking that much. Especially as those who disagree are free to make their own decision and won’t be forced out onto the streets at rifle point.

How people feel about it is how they feel.
I'm sure nobody is going to suddenly change their mind, so we all have to do what we feel is right.

vegans rock: I won’t be ‘celebrating’ tomorrow. I honestly don’t know what there is to celebrate. It seems to me that the past few years have been one endless celebration of various world wars: beginning, ends etc etc. I don’t find anything to do with war celebratory. I’ll honour those who fought and died in my own way, and that includes honouring those from other countries that ‘won’ the war. I’m tired of people thinking we ‘won’ it all by ourselves. Look how many Russians died...

Please forgive me for being a “kill joy” but are gatherings against what the Government is suggesting we shouldn’t do. I heard tonight when we were clapping that someone is trying to organise drinks on our Green tomorrow. I would be all for this in normal conditions but surely this could be dangerous? It’s put me in a very awkward position. I do want to show my respect and to be sociable but frankly I just don’t want to risk it.

Vegansrock - Am I just being an old misery? Err, yeah, sorry, but I think perhaps you are?