Home / May

A little reason to celebrate

Victory in Europe Day

History · Commemorative · May 8

Victory in Europe Day, or V-E Day, marks the end of the Second World War in Europe and honors the people who served and sacrificed to reach it.

Victory in Europe Day falls on Saturday, May 8, 2027. That is 193 days away.

V-E Day marks the end of the Second World War in Europe, when Germany surrendered to the Allied nations. It is observed in the United States and in many other countries, each with its own ways of remembering.

The news brought crowds into city streets. Photographs from that moment show strangers embracing, sailors on shoulders, confetti drifting down from office windows. The relief was real, and so was the knowledge that the war in the Pacific was still going on. Many families greeted the day with joy and worry at once.

For Americans, the day honors the soldiers, sailors, airmen, nurses and factory workers whose effort carried the country through years of war. It also remembers those who did not come home. Veterans of that war are now few, and their stories carry extra weight. A grandparent's letter, a service medal in a drawer or a faded photo in uniform can say a great deal about what the war asked of ordinary people.

The day is usually marked quietly. Some towns hold ceremonies at war memorials, and museums and libraries often share wartime photographs, posters and recordings. Others spend time with family history, asking relatives what they remember or heard from their parents.

The celebrations in that moment were loud and spontaneous, but the war had touched nearly every household, and many of the people in those crowds were thinking of someone who was missing from them.

Ways to celebrate

• Visit a local war memorial and read the names listed there.
• Ask an older relative about family members who served.
• Look through wartime photographs at a library or online archive.
• Write a note of thanks to a veteran or veterans' home.
• Display an American flag at home.

Dates

All national days on May 8

Also on May 8

• National Coconut Cream Pie Day
• National Give Someone a Cupcake Day
• No Socks Day
• National Train Day
• National Windmill Day

Categories: History daysCommemorative days