VE Day 80
Thursday 8 May 2025
A Shared Moment of Celebration
Following on from the enormous success of D-Day 80 – 6 June 2024, in which we all commemorated the 80th Anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy, France, through the lighting of over one thousand beacons and five hundred lamp lights of peace throughout the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and UK overseas territories that night, we are now focusing all our efforts on the celebration of the 80th Anniversary of VE Day which marked the end of the war in Europe and WWII as a whole on 8th May 1945, in a similar way.
On Thursday 8 May 2025 we are encouraging the lighting of Beacons and Lamp Lights of Peace at 9.30pm, the raising of a unique VE Day flag at 9am and, where possible, holding parties of celebration throughout the day in the streets, gardens at home, churches, villages, town halls, pubs, clubs, hotels and all manner of locations throughout the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and UK Overseas Territories.
Street parties are to be encouraged
Even though Thursday 8 May 2025 is not a public holiday, we encourage those with country parks and streets that can be closed, along with those that have gardens to hold street and garden parties decked in flags and bunting, dressing up infancy dress or uniform, along with those communities that have town, village and community halls etc. to organise VE Day 80 parties within them, decorating them in a similar fun way.
We also encourage care homes and children’s homes, hospitals, schools, pubs, hotels and restaurants etc. to undertake similar events throughout the day in celebration of this important Anniversary. This would be a great and simple way for schools to take part, especially at lunch-time.
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