Marking V-E Day

V-E Day

V-E Day, or Victory in Europe Day as it is otherwise known, is a holiday which is observed on May 8th all over the world. In 1945, it was celebrated as a public holiday in the United States and was celebrated to rejoice in the formal acceptance of surrender the Allies received from Nazi Germany on May 7th, 1945. Although it currently hasn’t been observed since 1945 in the U.S, many countries around the world still observe it. However, not all of them celebrate it on May 8th.

History of V-E Day

On May 7th, 1945, Germany officially surrendered to the Allies and thereby bringing an end to World War II. Since Adolph Hitler had committed suicide in April of that year, General Alfred Jodl signed the documents of surrender for Nazi Germany in Reims, France. A document of surrender which became effective on May 8th, 1945. This resulted in May 8th being declared V-E Day in the United States and Europe. Although it is no longer officially celebrated in the U.S, many European countries do celebrate this holiday. In 1945, V-E Day coincided with the birthday of then President Harry Truman. He took the opportunity to dedicate the day to his predecessor, Franklin Delano Roosevelt who had died less than a month earlier. Massive celebrations erupted all over the country – from Los Angeles to New York.

V-E Day Customs & Traditions

V-E Day is not a public holiday in the United States but is celebrated in France as Victoire, in Slovakia as Victory Over Fascism Day and in Norway as Liberation Day. In many other countries around the world, the surrender of Germany is celebrated but it isn’t celebrated on May 8th. For instance, in Georgia, the Ukraine, and Russia it is not celebrated until May 9th. That’s because German and Soviet forces continued to clash for the 2 days following the official signing of the documents of surrender by Germany. The Soviets lost half a thousand more soldiers in Silesia before the Germans formally surrendered on May 9th. It was then that Stalin spoke on a radio broadcast and acknowledged the Nazis had been defeated and that the war was over.

http://www.holidayscalendar.com/event/v-e-day/