VE Day “celebrations”

braying nationalism

Since when has giving thanks and celebrating the end of a dreadful period in history, overcoming an evil regime, been considered to be braying nationalism?

Our young neighbours posted a leaflet asking everyone to sit outside and celebrate on Friday. Which I don't want to do [as per what Eloethan said]]. I don't go outside anyway when various children are riding their bikes and neighbours are chatting to each other. But it means that my husband will have to walk the dog really early and I won't be able to do the work on the garden that I'd planned. Is it correct that the Daily Mail have called it 'Victory over Europe Day instead of 'In Europe'?

We can’t do “anything we want”, and it’s certainly not obligatory to remember the war dead by doing anything different on any particular day. It’s just an excuse to crow about imagined superiority, fuelled by nationalistic dogma. I’ve got my father’s and grandfather’s military medals and photos framed my hallway, I remember them everyday. I also think of those relatives who lie in cemeteries in France and the Far East. I don’t think that waving a flag is giving them thanks or celebrating anything.

I agree Callistemon
It is a way of giving thanks.
Unfortunately we can't be there this year but we will be celebrating the liberation of the Channel Islands.

You are missing the point vegansrock - deliberately it seems.

Sark I'm glad you can see the difference, coming from the Channel Islands you will know what it was like and for much of Europe too. A celebration of an anniversary of the beginning of the end of such terror and remembering those who did not come back is not braying nationalism.
However, people are able to express their opinions because of their sacrifices.

If my 102 year old relative, who was in the Army in WW2 wishes to sing a wartime song when we phone him, we will join in with him.
Nothing nationalistic about it whatsoever, a song from a time when everyone was wishing for an end to fear and for happier, more peaceful times.

Unfortunately not all our fathers are in a grave in a cemetery which we could visit.

Well said Callistemon ???

Unfortunately, some left wing posters ( and in RL) are incapable of seeing a remembrance/ celebration of any military event ( even WW2) without shrieking things like
‘Braying nationalism/ crow about imagined superiority/fuelled by national dogma’ !
Actually there was nothing imagined about our superiority over the Nazis.
Fortunately most people in the UK recognise this and want to give thanks for what our armed forces at that time achieved and their sacrifice in doing so.

Agree with this, let’s celebrate when we’ve got something to celebrate

Maybe people get confused about ‘celebrating’. It’s not about we’ve won.......it’s about ‘It’s over’. And ever since, remember, think of those we lost but make sure it NEVER happens again. You need to watch the Veterans from all over the world marching along the beaches in Normandy and their tears for their comrades who never survived mixed with the tears of gratitude shared by the locals. Then the hugs and the glass of wine ‘of honour’shared by all - to see how much it still means. Don’t make it about nationalism or disrespect, it’s not.

No......not just that it’s over!! Far from it.
We won and the war being over was just one aspect.If we hadn’t won, then there would have been Nazi flags over Westminster and death camps everywhere for Jews.

The fact that we won the war as well as peace being restored in Europe is worth celebrating.

One thing I won't be doing is watching TV or listening to the radio. While I am tremendously respectful and grateful to the people who made sacrifices to keep our country safe, I have been alive so long that I have seen and heard memories and movies about the war so often I just can't stand the thought of going through it all over again. Something about the world wars seem to be repeated every year now.

I remember asking my father as a child how he felt about being called up on his 21st birthday. He told me that he needed to play his part to ensure that Britain would not be invaded. He said that if that had happened then my grandparents would have been shot or sent to a labour camp and that my mother would have been forced to marry an invading soldier. (Please not that I haven’t mentioned a nationality here.) For him that was all the reason he needed. Our freedom from tyranny was hard won and that is cause for gratitude and celebration.

I’m not deliberately missing the point- I get remembering 100 years as a milestone. But 75 years in neither here not there any more than 70 or 80 or whatever. I get being grateful for peace. I’m all for that. But May 8 wasn’t the end of the war for millions. I bet most people drinking and waving flags won’t know the words to any of the songs and won’t have a clue about the reality of the war either. It’s not all about rule Brittania. I feel sick that some people think people died so they can have a booze up anytime.

The day for celebrating was in 1945
Surely tomorrow should be a day for remembrance

My street are doing it. At a distance from each other, in our own front gardens, each supplying their own food and drink. I'm just off to M&S to buy some tasty treats. Can't wait for some distraction from COVID. And celebrating Victory in Europe is a good a reason as any to remember the sacrifices many made for our freedom. We are very lucky that lockdown is just that, unlike what they had to endure.

Sorry but I do not 'get' this celebration at all. Britain did not free Europe - the allies did (of which GB played an important role). Thousands lost their lives in every European country … but those young me from Italy, Germany, France and the UK did not start the war - politicians did.
Until we move away from this jingoistic presentation of war as glorious, which it is not, I for one will never, ever celebrate.

Be nice to celebrate with cake - if I could get flour!

Same as us tomorrow will be a quiet moment of reflection, with over 30,000 deaths it’s not a time to celebrate

I do understand the point being made about marking the 100 year anniversary and very much hope that people will do this. 75 years is so very important as there are still people alive who lived through the War and who can share their memories as well as those like myself who grew up afterwards and witnessed at first hand the aftermath of all that suffering. This won’t be the case in 100 years time.

I was still on duty in the WAAF. My husband who was still suffering stress after being wounded from having gone over to Normandy on DDay plus 4 with the Guards Armoured division had just received a posting to Palestine where he said it was worse because the Brits were because being shot at by both the Jews and Arabs. Many of my friends still had husbands and boy friends in the Far East and didn’t know whether they were alive or dead.

I live in a small close of 8 houses and for a few weeks now we have been going out on Saturday afternoons at 3PM and sitting in our own drives with a glass of wine/beer or cup of tea. It has been lovely to be able to have a chat, albeit, having to speak louder, and we've got to know the younger/ newer neighbours much better. This week, however we've changed it to VE day and will be taking our own afternoon teas out and wearing hats (ladies). I have also organised a quiz. However, will certainly be remembering my Dad who fought in the war (luckily he came home) as well as all the others who didn't and everyone who suffered bombings, loss of loved ones and being unable to see their families or hug their grandchildren. Not so different from today was it if you substitute a virus for bombings? But they kept calm and carried on and so should we. A little get together ( at a distance) will help to lift spirits for a short time.

Barrygirl it is not a celebration or glorification of war.

It is a celebration of Peace

I do not understand the mindset of some.

Please yourself vegansrock

However, I shall be thinking of my FIL whom I never met because he died so that people like you could express your views whether or not he may have agreed with them.

And we shall have a drink to honour his memory and all those who died, their families and those who fought and returned.

No glorification here, just memories and a heartfelt thank you.

aonk yes, there are many still alive who lived through it and many still with us who were old enough to serve.

To dismiss them, their memories and call it glorification and braying nationalism is a dismissal of all the terrible times which they lived through.

GrandmaFrench yes, at least there are those on the Continent who still give thanks for their salvation and appear to be grateful. Their situation in Occupied Europe was worse still than ours here.

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.