If you have friends, neighbours or family members who remember the end of WWII, there's no better way to mark your respect for them than with a VE Day celebration. The Royal British Legion is calling on the nation to mark the 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day with a weekend of events from May 8-10.
It's a great excuse to make new friends and meet your local community. The Legion is working in partnership with the Government to mark the anniversary and hopes that community halls, public spaces and homes will be decked with bunting and playing music to recreate the celebrations of 70 years ago.
Here are some suggestions from the Legion for a fun-packed day:
Organise a 1940s style tea dance, decorated with bunting and encourage vintage dress
Organise a community singalong of wartime songs to take everyone back to the era
Eat for Victory! Use ration recipes to create the food for your celebration, www.veday.org.uk has lots of recipes on offer
Paint Union Jack flags on children’s faces
Hold a fancy dress competition with 1940s theme
Have a go at trying to recreate some hairstyles from the 1940s
Community celebrations will reflect the national events taking place in London where WWII veterans are invited to attend as the nation’s VIPs. On Sunday 10 May, there will be a Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey, followed by a parade from the Abbey to Horse Guards Parade and into St James’s Park, where the Legion will host a lunch reception for the veterans.
If you don’t plan on organising an event yourself, you can find out what is happening in your local area at www.veday.org.uk or on local government websites.
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