It’s fixed in the British consciousness and calendar but VE Day is a moveable feast.
For us, we’ve been out commemorating the Fallen this week and lighting a beacon at the harbour in the ‘best place to live in Britain’, North Berwick.
As part of a four-day festival which culminates in the actual VE Day for Britons and former Empire countries and current Commonwealth ones today
It’s worth remembering though that VE Day is a moveable feast on account of our different circumstances.
With Russia, who it must be acknowledged suffered more than any other nation in the War, going a different route.
What’s another day?
But before we throw our arms up there is a very good explanation.
Germany actually surrendered on May 7 with all hostilities ceasing at 23:01 Central European Time on May 8, 1945.
But with it being May 9 before it reached the Soviet states Russia celebrate Victory Day on that day.
As did the satellite states they had occupied in their march west to Berlin.
And Berliners incidentally mark the day too as Germans were the first victims of Hitler.
Soviet-occupied Eastern Europeans continued to mark May 9 until the Iron Curtain came down.
And states for whom that day represented another longer occupation under Soviet rule.
Those countries, including Ukraine, Czechia, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and Poland now taking on the Western May 8.
But notably Eastern-looking states such as Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Serbia and the Stans take the 9th.
There are some outliers too with Israel waiting that extra day.
Because it is a Victory Day commemoration sponsored by Israeli Red Army veterans and only in existence since 2017.
Channeling a shared history
For those who dwell on this island of Britain May 8 has been our focus for the past 80 years and the next 800.
Although in another quirk of history and timing the Channel Islands had their day on May 9.
With the smaller islands Sark (May 10) and Alderney (May 16) extending the festivities.
As life runs more slowly in those territories at the extremes of Britain and where the surrender was the last ticking exercise.
Which is how we like it as it allows us to celebrate the golden generations of all who defeated Fascism across Europe.
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