The 8th of May

While studying history in college, one thing that interested me was the way certain days gained significance due to something historical happening on them in the past. It's interesting in part because for some groups, the most important day of the year is an ordinary day for others. In other cases, one group remembers a day because of a triumph, or the birth of a hero, while another remembers the day for a defeat.

Take today, May 8th, for instance. On this date in 1945, Germany surrendered to the Allies, ending the Second World War (1939-1945) in Europe. From that day forward, some people called it "V-E Day," or "Victory in Europe," to commemorate the end of the war in that theatre. It also happens to be the day on which Harry S Truman (1884-1972) and Fredrich Hayek (1899-1992) were born. For both of them, V-E Day was simultaneously their birthday. I wonder how they celebrated...

A similar but different (and interesting) example took place during the Iranian Revolution in 1977-78. Following traditional Shi'ite memorial practices, services were held for protestors killed in the initial demonstrations 40 days after their death. The services served as national rallies in support of the original demonstrations, to the point that they exacerbated tensions further and yielded more protests, more fatalities, and more memorial services The ensuing cycle is an interesting facet of the Iranian Revolution.

The point is that in either case, particular days-- be they a specific day each year or a specific day in reference to another--become significant for historical reasons, and influence the way we understand the world. Perhaps it is true that you can learn a lot about a culture by knowing their significant days. Something to try, maybe.

Happy Tuesday (and V-E Day) friends :)