Victoria
Day
Pat's Weekly Feature
Why is May’s long weekend
holiday called Victoria Day?
Canada has celebrated its
Sovereign’s birthday since Queen Victoria ruled the British
Empire from 1837 to 1901. Queen Victoria, a very popular
queen, was born on May 24, 1819. After her death in 1901, the
Parliament of Canada established a legal holiday on May 24th
in each year or May 25th if May 24th
fell on a Sunday. However, in 1952, the celebration of
Victoria was changed to the Monday before May 25. This year,
Victoria Day is celebrated on May 23.
In 1957, Victoria Day was
permanently appointed as Queen Victoria’s Birthday Celebration
in Canada. Since that time, the birthdays of the reigning
British monarchs have also been celebrated on this day.
Traditionally, all
government buildings of Canada fly the Royal Union Flag, known
as the Union Jack, as well as the Canadian Flag to mark this
day.
Canada’s Flags and Symbols
To learn more about the
flags and other symbols of Canada, and even take a quiz,
try this Website:
Local Activities on this Victoria Day
Weekend
The holiday weekend is a
time for friends and family to celebrate. Choose from some of
the following activities:
Children and adults can
enjoy the 28th annual
Children’s Festival
from May 16 to 23. In addition to seeing the entertainers,
children can learn about aboriginal crafts, animation, energy
conservation, juggling, kite flying and much more.
May 23 is the annual
Fort Langley May Day
that includes a parade and festival.
On May 23, at the
Burnaby Village Museum,
Queen Victoria’s birthday is celebrated with special events,
and even promises a visit from “Queen Victoria!”
New Westminster’s
Hyack Days takes place
from May 21 to 29. On May 22 and 23, visit Queen’s Park for
fun and entertainment.
The
Cloverdale Rodeo
has been held for over 100 years! This year, the event runs
from May 20 to 23. In addition to rodeo events, families can
enjoy other attractions such as musical concerts, lumberjack
shows, and bicycle stunts.
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