Victoria Day is celebrated on the Monday preceding May 25th every year. It is a federal holiday in Canada. This day is established to celebrate Queen Victoria’s birthday. In 1845, it was declared an actual holiday by the parliament of the Province of Canada. It became a legal holiday in 1901, when the Queen died.
Queen Victoria was known as the ‘mother of confederation’. Victoria Day is also known by different names like: – May Long Weekend, May Run, May Long etc. The day is celebrated with a 21 gun salute in the capital city of each province and the national capital city of Ottawa.
Fast Facts: –
- Victoria Day marks the beginning of summer season for many Canadians.
- Queen Victoria was the longest sitting sovereign in history who kept her seat on the throne for 63 years 216 days.
- Celebration of Victoria Day is a Canadian tradition and does not exist in most of England.
- Victoria was the first Queen of Canada, when the country was founded in 1867.
- Victoria Day is the oldest state holiday of Canada and it is the only country to honour Queen Victoria with an official holiday.
- Until 2003, the day was called Fete de Dollard in Quebec. Now it is celebrated as National Patriots’ day.
- Queen Victoria became queen at the age of 18. She was a successor of William IV.
- Federal protocol dictates that the Royal Union Flag should be flown at all federal government building from sun up until sun down.
- Victoria, British Columbia is named after Queen Victoria.
- She married her first cousin Prince Albert and because of her position she proposed to him.
