On the 5th of May street parties were held up and down the country, including at Downing Street, to celebrate VE Day.
Celebrating such a day with friends and neighbours is a great way of bringing communities together and helps to strengthen bonds. Some of these residents may not usually interact with each other and may have even never met, despite living on the same street. It is, therefore, a great way of getting to know people who live close by which in turn can lead to a greater trust within the community.
VE Day commemorates what was a major part of our history and enables people to honour veterans and those who passed. It also allows people to talk about their own family experiences from that time, perhaps ones of parents, grandparents and great-grandparents.
Getting together in this way can improve the mental wellbeing of some of the residents, especially those who are often isolated such as people who live on their own and the elderly. Interacting socially, having a lot of fun, enjoying eating plenty of tasty food, having a sing a long, listening to music, and dancing can help to lift everyone’s mood and is a welcome break from the usual routine.
Celebrating such a historic day in this way can help children learn about the past and gain a greater understanding of why we are able to have the freedom that we enjoy today and about the sacrifices so many people made to enable us to do so, including in a great number of cases the ultimate sacrifice.
How to preserve the memories of a street party for many years to come
During the day there are likely to be many photos taken, some of which will be for sharing on social media and others for personal use as a way of remembering the day.
A nice little touch to help preserve the memory of street parties like this is to print and frame some of the photos that you have taken and then pop around to some of the neighbours and give one to them as a gift and as a way of thanking them for being part of such a fun-packed day. It could be a photo of you and their family enjoying eating some food together, having a dance together, or singing some celebratory songs together. Whatever the subject of the photo doesn’t really matter, as it is the thought that counts. Your neighbour is likely to be touched by the thought, as well as the effort you have made.
This can help to cement and continue the new friendships you made during the street party as well as strengthen existing ones.
You can, of course, print and frame some of the photos to keep for yourself! These types of days bring a great deal of joy and are very much worth remembering for many years to come; having framed photos is a great way of doing this.