|
The standard holidays including New Year, Valentine Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are important in Canada. Particularly notable is Rememberence Day whuch honors Canadian veteransm but iun many ways marks when Canada emerged as a nation on the world stage. Interestingly, Queen Victoria's birthday (largely forgotten in England) is celebrated in Canada. The Queen ruled Britain and the Empire longer than any other monarch, from 1837-1901. The Queen was born on May 24, but the celebration is the Monday preceeding May 25. One important holiday is the Feast of St. John the Baptist (June 24). This is more than a religious holiday and is a kinf of French Candian national celebration. The primary national holiday is Canada (Confederation) Day and celebrated on July 1. Canadians celebrate it like July 4 in America, but it is not an independence day because the Canadians did not join the American colonists in the Revolutionary War. Rather the Candians celebrate the day the different British North American provinces were combined to form Canada. Canada Day until 1981 was called Dominion Day because on July 1, 1867 the provinces of British North America merged as the Dominion of Canada, a title which Canada still has officially. While Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving like Americans, they celebrate on a different day--the second Monday in October, perhaps because the harvest comes earlier in Canada. (That is the date Columbus Day is held in America.) Rememberence Day began as Armistice Day to honor the sacrifice orginally in World War and gradually expanded to World War II and other veterans (Noember 11). Perhaps more than Canada Day, however, it is essentially began as a World War I mremenberence and began the transitiin from colony to nation. For children of course the most important holiday is Christmas (December 25).
Interestingly, Queen Victoria's birthday (largely forgotten in England) is celebrated in Canada. The Queen ruled Britain and the Empire longer than any other monarch, from 1837-1901. The Queen was born on May 24, but the celebration is the Monday preceeding May 25.
One important holiday is the Feast of St. John the Baptist (June 24). This is more than a religious holiday and is a kinf of French Candian national celebration. We thought at first that this was a religious celebration. A Canadian reader tells us that it is more of a patriotic/cultural celebration for Quebecers and other French Canadians. Explorers like Cartier and Champlain are honored. The celebration is named after St. John the Baptist who was the patron saint of New France (Camada). This reflects the former importance of the Catholic Church in French Canada. John the Baptist of course had no real connection with French Canada except that he was chosen the patron saint.
The primary national holiday is Canada (Confederation) Day and celebrated on July 1. Canadians celebrate it like July 4 in America, but it is not an independence day because the Canadians did not join the American colonists in the Revolutionary War. Rather the Candians celebrate the day the different British North American provinces were combined to form Canada. Canada Day until 1981 was called Dominion Day because on July 1, 1867 the provinces of British North America merged as the Dominion of Canada, a title which Canada still has officially.
While Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving like Americans, they celebrate on a different day--the second Monday in October, perhaps because the harvest comes earlier in Canada. (That is the date Columbus Day is held in America.)
Particularly notable is Remembrance Day whuch honors Canadian veteransm but iun many ways marks when Canada emerged as a nation on the world stage. Rememberence Day began as Armistice Day to honor the sacrifice orginally in World War and gradually expanded to World War II and other veteranss (Noember 11). Perhaps more than Canada Day, however, it is essentially began as a World War I remenberence. Less understood is how Cnanada's World War I role began the transition from colony to nation. Armistice Day marks the the end of hostilities on the Western Front during World War I (November 1, 1918). This was initially a British Empire celbration to be celebrated on the second Monday in November. The Canadian Parliament for whatever reason decided in Armistice Day bill to observe the first Monday in the week of 11 November 11 (1921). This mean that Armistice Day was combined with the Thanksgiving Day holiday. Thius for most of the ensuoing decade, Canadians observed the Armistice with little public demonstration. Mostly veterans and their families gathered in churches and around local memorialswgich bedgan to spting up. The general public commonly did not get involved. Veterans and otyhers were offened by this and began to demand a greater recognition. The name of the the onservatioin was changed to Rememnbrance Day,. The Federal Government decided the observation should occur on 11 November (1931) And they moved Thanksgiving Day to October. It was decided that Remembrance Day would emphasize the scarifice of the fallen World War I soldiers. This was extended to World War and other vetrrans. Honoring the sacrifice of the fallen and other veterrans of course is important. Often loss in these celebratioins is what these brave men achieved--the destruction of German militarism and the great totalitarian powers of the 20th century (Fascisdt Italy, NAZI Germany, mitaristic Japan, and the Soviet Union. This was an achievement of incaluable service to humanity and is often lost in the obsservations by not only Canada, but akso America, Britain, Austrakia, and other Western countries.
For children of course the most important holiday is Christmas (December 25). Christmas has traditionally been celebrated differently in Canada by French and Engish speaking families. An Anglophone Christmas in Canada is similar to that of England. In Canada, from 1875 onwards, Christmas lost its essentially religious character, at least for Anglophones and the upper middle class. Little by little it became a community festival which gave rise to much family merry-making. New customs began to take root. Henceforth, the decorated Christmas tree, the crèche with its santons or plaster figures, gifts and the Christmas "réveillon" became part of family tradition. For the majority of Francophones, however, this transformation did not occur until after the First World War. Good old "Père Noël" moved very quickly from his minor role, becoming the pivotal figure for many community events. Francophones, however, incorporated these new practices into their culture much later. After the World War I, increasing commercial advertising drew Francophones into the dizzy festive activities. During the 1930s, the working classes also joined this happy Christmas rush. HBC suspects that American Christmas trends must have leaked across the border, especially sence World War II, but we have no specific information on this. We suspect that siunce War the growing American influence and rising importnce of the mass media has helped dilute the formerly substantial differences between Christmasses in English and French speaking families.
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to the Main Canaduan activities page]
[Return to the Main country dance page]
[About Us]
[Introduction]
[Activities]
[Biographies]
[Chronology]
[Clothing styles]
[Countries]
[Girls]
[Theatricals]
[Bibliographies]
[Contributions]
[FAQs]
[Glossaries]
[Images]
[Index]
[Links]
[Registration]
[Tools]
[Main HBC Topic page]
[Boys' Historical Clothing Home]
