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It’s not really “celebrating WWII” really is it, it’s celebrating it being over.
It's not though, is it, and even if it were, celebrating that it's over 75 years after the fact rather shows that we as a nation haven't moved on, which is what we need to do.
Kryton57
SubscriberFor gods sake…. Does everything on here have to deteriorate into political point scoring?
You actually had to ask that?
How long do you think it’ll be before we stop celebrating WWII?
Well if we want to celebrate WW2 the obvious date to do it would be 1st September.
War was declared 1st September 1939
I think VE day is still recognised in some way or another across a fair bit of Europe - I know we were in Berlin abut 10-12 years ago & there was a quite a gathering in remembrance of it there. The French, as has been said, have a public holiday & I'm sure a few former Soviet states do too.
It'll probably wane after the centenary (much like WW1 seems to have).
Didn't they move the same bank holiday for the 50th anniversary too?
Yeah. The Tories thought that a Bank Holiday at the beginning of May was too left wing so they moved it.
Always makes me giggle that. Given its history as a celebration you’d think it would appeal to the conservative element of the Tory party. Members of that party associating it with May Day in Russia just demonstrates how little interest modern politicians have in anything beyond their day job
celebrating that it’s over 75 years after the fact rather shows that we as a nation haven’t moved on, which is what we need to do.
It doesn't, and we don't.
I don't see why we shouldn't celebrate the end of an awful world spanning event just so some softies feel a bit less challenged by unpleasant thoughts.
Pfft, usually get enhanced Wages for working when everyone else is clogging the trails but been told we have to have the day off. Another reason to hate this virus
I had couple of days off a while back and enjoyed them and found stuff to do in the time, so I think it's worth keeping at least some element of your holiday time off, it's relaxing to disabled any work notifications and just remove yourself from it all too.
I suspect we are heading for a lot of stressed out people later in the year with no holidays being taken, the stress of job security, home schooling and very little 'fun' time. Mental health services are going to be very busy!
I don’t see why we should continue to celebrate the end of one of many awful world spanning events that none of us remember just so some softies feel a bit less challenged by progress.
We have to book our holidays quite far in advance so a few people were caught out by the change in Bank Holiday date, including my manager. Hopefully it'll be a sombre event, couldn't put up with street parties to celebrate winning a war right now.
I’ve got a week off coming up, but we have been told that “not being able to go anywhere” is not a justifiable reason to be allowed to cancel holidays. Kinda dreading sitting around the house with nothing to do during that week, I’ll prob work through it for something to do!
I'm off this week because I was not allowed to cancel it, been bumming round the flat most of the time. What makes it even harder to swallow is I didn't request this week off, it was allocated and I don't have any more time off until two weeks in October then a week in November and one in December. All of those were allocated too as all the dates I requested were already taken So I just got what was left. Might actually work out in my favour as restrictions may well not lift enough for weeks away until then anyway but nearly 6 months with no break is going to drag. As long as we have some sort of normality for next July I'll be happy as I have 2 weeks booked off for an alpine trip for my 40th.
I don’t see why we shouldn’t celebrate the end of an awful world spanning event just so some softies feel a bit less challenged by unpleasant thoughts.
1) Was it awful? Yes, absolutely.
2) Should we remember that it was awful, and that all wars are? Yes, absolutely, and we do that every year on Remembrance Sunday. And, it would seem appropriate for a similarly sombre memorial on the 5th May
3) Should we be congratulating ourselves on how great we were in winning it, having celebrations, garden parties and the like? No, we need to move on.
@ernielynch war was declared 3 September 1939, not 1 September - see, this is why we need this stuff ;). Poland was invaded on the 1st I'll give you that.
I'm more than happy to both celebrate this event (ie the official end of the war in Europe) and remember what happened, though the jingoistic stuff grinds my gears.
All this stuff about moving on makes me laugh - move on to what - do it all over again? Which is exactly what will happen in time anyway, so we may as well try and make sure there's a decent interval.
I don’t see why we should continue to celebrate the end of one of many awful world spanning events that none of us remember just so some softies feel a bit less challenged by progress.
It would be quite useful to remember what happened 75 years ago.
Today across Europe support for far right movements and neo-nazi parties is at its highest level for 75 years.
As someone who hasn't worked Fridays for ~8 years and works 3 of every 4 Mondays, which would have included Monday 4th May, I was quite miffed when this was announced last year.
And it's rather ironic that VE Day can't be celebrated as intended due to lockdown (I will be staggered if the lockdown magically vanishes next Thurs)!
VE Day anniversary should IMO have been an additional bank hol, the UK has the least number of bank hol days in a typical year in the whole of Europe!
Well if we want to celebrate WW2 the obvious date to do it would be 1st September.
War was declared 1st September 1939
3rd September actually. Germany invaded Poland on the 1st, Britain & France declared war on Germany two days later.
China might beg to differ though, as they’d been at war with Japan for a couple of years by that point
What I find most ironic is that it was the generation that actually fought and died in WW2 that voted us into the common market, seeing European cooperation as the most suitable way of celebrating victory and hindering future generations from making the same mistakes theirs had.
Little did they know that their children would throw those achievements away in an orgy of nationalistic tub thumping and flag waving that was called brexit.
What’s a bank holiday?
1) Was it awful? Yes, absolutely.
2) Should we remember that it was awful, and that all wars are? Yes, absolutely, and we do that every year on Remembrance Sunday. And, it would seem appropriate for a similarly sombre memorial on the 5th May
3) Should we be congratulating ourselves on how great we were in winning it, having celebrations, garden parties and the like? No, we need to move on.
This.
If it was a respectful remembrance of those lost, those responsible and a reflection of how western Europe has lived in (relative) peace in the intervening years through mutual cooperation then I'd be all on board.
But let's not kid ourselves, it's not going to look anything like that because so many of our population still learn their history from Commando comics.
Why should the anniversary of the defeat of Nazism be a sombre event?
Unless obviously you happen to be a Nazi in which case it makes perfect sense not to be in a celebratory mood
Just happy the holiday is on the 8th. For some reason I got the idea it was this Friday and I’m waiting on new toys being delivered.
Faaarrrkkk, I just bought a job lot of 600 May poles, thinking I'd make a mint selling them on 🙁
May Day is my favourite bh but I can't say I really care if they move it one year.
Hopefully in a few years time we can look back and have a VC bank hol to celebrate when lockdown ends / real progress is made in the current situation
I’m saving all my joy for Victory over Brexit Day.
. Of my 25 days from 1st Jan to 31st Dec I’ve only actually used one day.
My work has decreed that everyone has to take at least 10 days leave by end of June.
I had a full week off at home after easter. Tbh I was dreading it but turned out to be quite relaxing. The nice weather and having kids about helped.
Eddiebaby - I think that’s one thing we can all agree on 🤣
Why should the anniversary of the defeat of Nazism be a sombre event?
Unless obviously you happen to be a Nazi in which case it makes perfect sense not to be in a celebratory mood
Well, given that only last night you posted
Today across Europe support for far right movements and neo-nazi parties is at its highest level for 75 years.
Maybe there's not really anything to celebrate (cos, to be clear, I'm not a Nazi)? And, let's not forget, one of the foundations of Naziism and fascism is a mythologizing of past 'glories', especially military ones, and promotion of an insular, nationalist rhetoric.
Which, again, is why we need to stop the eulogising and celebrating about when "we won the war".
If it was a respectful remembrance of those lost, those responsible and a reflection of how western Europe has lived in (relative) peace in the intervening years through mutual cooperation then I’d be all on board.
But let’s not kid ourselves, it’s not going to look anything like that because so many of our population still learn their history from Commando comics.
Exactly.
I'm sorry IHN but I see no contradiction at all between wanting to celebrate the defeat of the Nazi regime in 1945, and pointing out that support across Europe today for far right movements and neo-nazi parties is at it's highest level for 75 years.
In fact I think it's very poignant to do so, which is obviously why I thought it was a point worth making.
Furthermore it has nothing at all to do with "eulogising and celebrating" war. Israel celebrates annually VE Day, do you really think that the people of Israel think that WW2 was a great event which should be celebrated?
Perhaps some people need to be a little less xenophobic and see WW2 not so much as a struggle against Germans but as a struggle against Nazism.
I'll remind you that the horrors of Nazism extended far beyond the borders of Germany.
I’m sorry IHN but I see no contradiction at all between wanting to celebrate the defeat of the Nazi regime in 1945, and pointing out that support across Europe today for far right movements and neo-nazi parties is at it’s highest level for 75 years.
I think it's a question of language and tone. "Commemorate", fine. "Celebrate", not so much.
Perhaps some people need to be a little less xenophobic and see WW2 not so much as a struggle against Germans but as a struggle against Nazism.
I agree, but good luck with that.
Trouble is commemorate often turns into celebrate, especially when associated with a bank holiday move. When you have people like the BBC promoting this type of rubbish, Great British Bunting, the don't stop to think brigade (i.e. many of the British public) will turn it into a celebration. I'm pretty sure if we weren't in lockdown there would have been street parties.
Don't forget the bank holiday was moved by one of the most odious, populist and jingoistic political administrations of recent times. Don't think it was moved to allow more people time for somber reflection, it was all part of the loony right Brexit strategy.
My employer are quite happy for me to work the friday and take the monday instead, happily. I much prefer a monday off.
Perhaps some people need to be a little less xenophobic and see WW2 not so much as a struggle against Germans but as a struggle against Nazism.
We're smart enough to know the difference, but plenty aren't. As said it's all about the tone and language used.
Also worth reflecting on how short lived that victory really was. Its not just Nazism but the mechanics of how such a group came to power that has to be guarded against.
We’re smart enough....
Who's we?
In the list of 1st world problems, I'm not quite sure where a day off being moved when most people aren't actually working ranks.
I'm still working and couldn't really care less. I'm self employed though, so Bank Holidays, meh
I'll be marking the anniversary. My dad was 16 years old in 1945 so was luckier than many who were a handful of years older. He experienced the war on the home front as a teenager and lived on a farm in the country with probably better food than average. On VE day he bivvied out on top of Ben Lomond along with a friend. It was his local mountain 15 miles from home. My dad said it was a still enough night they could burn a candle on the top
My mother,s war was being evacuated from Glasgow to relatives in Lewis as a 13 year old and not being back home in Glasgow until she was an adult. Her mother put her on the train in Glasgow and asked another passenger heading for Stornoway to keep an eye on her on the train and ferry. In reality she left home at 13. After finishing high school in Lewis she stayed in a teacher training hostel at Jordanhill when she returned to the city. So she was on her 20s before being back home for a few years before marriage.
So I'll be marking the date by spending some time on top of a hill which is walking distance from home.
In the list of 1st world problems, I’m not quite sure where a day off being moved when most people aren’t actually working ranks.
I’m still working and couldn’t really care less. I’m self employed though, so Bank Holidays, meh
