VE Day 80

Friday 8th May 2025 marks 80 years since the end of hostilities in Europe was marked by Victory in Europe (VE) Day. Crowds took to the streets in their millions to celebrate the occasion with bonfires, dancing and parties.

A new digital booklet, exploring how VE Day was celebrated in West Lothian will shortly be available to download from this page. 

There are a number of events being held across the country to mark VE Day 80. Many of these are being televised. You can also celebrate VE Day 80 at home. Why not make some patriotic bunting (PDF, 946 KB)(opens new window) and flags (PDF, 720 KB)(opens new window) to decorate your house and try some of the wartime recipes (Word doc, 18 KB)(opens new window) for your tea party? Make some carrot biscuits or oat flapjacks, for a taste of the foods that would have been made in 1945. Play some music from the 1940's like Vera Lynn or Glenn Miller and try some of the dances popular in the 1940's, like the Lindy Hop.

West Lothian's "Dance from Home"

Back in 2020, the outbreak of Covid-19 meant that many VE Day 75 events were postponed or cancelled. The Museums and Archives Service invited local people to learn a 1940's style V.E. Day dance. This instructional video (opens new window)provided by Central Scotland Ballet School takes you through the steps. The dance is great fun and would be the perfect way to mark VE Day 80 either at home or with friends.