VE Day is coming up soon on Friday 8th May - but how can we celebrate while self-isolating? - but how can we ...

VE Day is coming up soon on Friday 8th May - but
how can we celebrate while self-isolating?
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.

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. It marked the end of Adolf Hitler’s reign and 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.

When is VE Day 2020?
Taking place on Friday 8th May, this year’s VE Day will be unlike other
years, as we’ll have three days to celebrate the historic occasion
marking the day that Victory in Europe prevailed during the Second
World War. The government purposely moved the annual May bank
holiday in order to hold the VE Day celebrations over a long weekend.

Planned celebrations for VE Day that can no longer
take place
Before the coronavirus outbreak, a series of celebrations were set to
take place in order to mark the special moment. There was set to be a
VE Day concert at the Royal Albert Hall, and pubs were planning on
staying open later than usual to allow people to raise a toast to the
historic moment. The public were also being encouraged to hold street
parties, while an official procession down the Mall was also due to take
place. Of course, celebrating in this way can’t happen under the
current UK lockdown rules – so how can we mark the occasion in a
different way during the pandemic restrictions?

VE Day celebrations in lockdown: how to make the
most of it
There are plenty of ways you can still get involved in the big day, from
hosting a special VE Day celebrations picnic or afternoon tea with your
household to decorating the house with flags and bunting.

What is a VE Day Stay At Home Street Party?
The idea behind a VE Day Stay At Home Street Party is that people can
still celebrate the day with their neighbours whilst observing social
distancing and staying at home. Organisers are encouraging the public
to decorate the outside of their homes in red, white and blue, bunting
and flags to mark the occasion, so that whole streets are adorned in the
nation’s colours. This way, neighbours can enjoy the visual spectacle of
national pride from their windows or during their one hour of exercise per
day. People are being encouraged to decorate their home in red, white
and blue. People are also being encouraged to forgo group gatherings
for afternoon tea and picnics and instead hold a smaller celebration in
the garden or on a doorstep with your household. Think mini
sandwiches, cakes, scones with jam and cream and a good old cup of
tea.

Your VE Day timetable
Just because we can’t get together and mark VE Day with our extended
friends and family, it doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to celebrate within the
safe bubbles of our own homes. Dedicated programmes will be broadcast
to help you get involved in the celebrations.

   11am | BBC One | The Nation Remembers BBC One will lead a poignant
    two-minute silence to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of the
    Second World War.
   2.45pm | BBC One | The Announcement of Victory Winston Churchill’s
    historic speech will also be broadcast – providing a fascinating insight
    into what the public will have heard on that significant day all those years
    ago.
   8pm | BBC One | The People’s Celebration Viewers can also tune in to a
    special programme on VE Day on BBC One, which will see some of the
    UK’s biggest stars (Katherine Jenkins, Beverley Knight), sing a rendition
    of the iconic ‘We’ll Meet Again’, by Vera Lynn. Throughout the show, we
    will hear from the real stars of the night, the people who still remember
    that historic evening and can tell us what it was like, first hand.
   9pm | BBC One | The Queen’s speech: The Queen herself will be giving a
    special address to the nation (her second during the coronavirus
    pandemic), at 9am on 8th May – which is the exact same time that her
    father, King George VI, spoke to the UK 75 years ago, on the actual VE
    Day.

How to host a VE Day street party
Holding a VE day street party in lockdown may mean holding a picnic in
your front garden, or on your doorstep, and decorating your home in the
national colours. If the weather isn’t kind, you could always host an
afternoon tea indoors with your household – and invite extended friends
and family to join you on a video call, using a platform such as Zoom,
FaceTime.
VE Day celebrations decor

The BBC are also encouraging the British public to make their own bunting
to display in their homes over VE Day weekend. They’ve even created a
step-by-step guide to making your own bunting, as well as a template for

you to print out. Discover all of their resources here. Or, you can follow our
guide to making bunting, here. If you’d rather buy it ready-made (and who
could blame you!) Not On The High Street have some brilliant British flag
bunting (pictured above). Or, if you would like to go for something you
would use again, there are plenty of sweet bunting and garland options
available.
And why not round off the day with a few sparklers in the garden and why
not try a party popper or two? Perfect for that special moment when you
raise a toast to all those who gave so much for our country during WW2.
VE Day celebrations food ideas
Picnic food is the best kind of food, and perfect for any outdoor
celebrations. So if you’re gathering in your front garden or on your
doorstep, bring some delicious food along with you. We love this Feta and
Red Pepper Quiche, a fancy but easy snack. Or, this couscous
salad couldn’t be easier to put together. And what is a picnic
without sausage rolls?
A quintessentially British afternoon tea is also a great option for VE Day.
You could try your hand at some perfectly rectangle finger sandwiches,
along with handmade scones and some indulgent sweet treats to finish.
VE Day celebrations cakes

It could be a lovely chance to do some baking with the kids for a VE Day
lunch – why not whip up these classically British iced fairy cakes, or a very
British Victoria sponge? Or, whip up these classic scones, pairing them
with lashings of cream and jam (as well as a cup of tea).

A pineapple upside down cake is also a real classic, as is a lemon drizzle.
But if you’re after something even more traditional, try this battenburg cake
recipe , or this delicious carrot cake.

VE Day activities for kids
The kids will love decorating the house and the VE Day celebrations are a
perfect time for getting them involved with some fun crafts ideas and
activities, like making your own bunting, or trying some vegetable printing in
shapes and patterns themed around VE Day.
You could also try some of these baking recipes for kids to get them into
the spirit of VE Day. They’re super easy to master, whether you’re a keen
baker or not.