Canada Day

Canada Day, or Fête Du Canada, is the national celebration of nationhood and a public holiday occurring annually on 1st July. It is the fourth and final day in the "Celebrate Canada" series which commences on 21st June with "National Aboriginal Day" and continues with St Jean Baptiste Day and Canadian Multi-culturalism Day.

Canada Day celebrates the creation of the Dominion of Canada in 1867 which united three British territories: the Province of Canada (Canada East and Canada West – what is now southern Ontario and southern Quebec), New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

The then Governor General, Lord Monck, created Canada Day (originally called Dominion Day) on 20th June 1868 by asking in a proclamation for "all Her Majesty’s [Queen Victoria] loving subjects throughout Canada to join in the celebration of the anniversary of the formation of the union of the British North America provinces in a federation under the name of Canada on 1st July."

The name was changed to Canada Day in 1982, which reflected popular opinion and usage. The controversial Chinese Immigration Act of 1923, which was eventually repealed in 1947, led the Chinese community in Canada to call the day "Humiliation Day", and they steadfastly refused to celebrate the Day under any circumstances.

In Quebec, where Canada Day is a national holiday, there is also a Provincial holiday called Moving Day, which reflects that most leases and many property agreements begin and end on that day. Canadians sceptical of the Quebecan motives (they have also established a Provincial holiday on Victoria Day, another national holiday with British connections) say that having house moves on 1st July makes people too busy and tired to celebrate Canada Day.

In Newfoundland and Labrador, 1st July is also seen as a special day of remembrance, commemorating substantial casualties suffered by the Newfoundland Regiment at Beaumont Hamel on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, in World War I. Ceremonies are held at the Cenotaphs in the Province during the course of the morning (which are very similar to those on Remembrance Day), and flags are flown at half-mast until noon. In the afternoon and evening the sombre mood of the morning becomes a celebration of Canada Day.

In the past half century, Canada has increasingly celebrated Canada Day as a patriotic festival, with most cities having organised celebrations, often featuring fireworks and bonfires. The Maple Leaf (Canadian flag) is flown from many buildings and homes, and painting the face in the red and white colours of Canada is common amongst children and revellers. Although food tastes vary, pancakes are a common theme.

The most lavish celebrations take place in Ottawa, the capital, where hundreds of thousands of people congregate on Parliament Hill, where the Governor General usually presides over the proceedings – although Queen Elizabeth II did so in 1967 (the 100th Anniversary of Canada), 1990, 1992 and 1997.

If you're looking for a way to commemorate this event, you might be interested in this article: Commemorations with Cross Stitch

Web design by: TheWebsiteDesign.Co.UK

Copyright ©2010 TWSD Services, All rights reserved