Victoria’s Day

Canada is the only country that sets aside an official day to remember Queen Victoria’s birthday, May 24th. Apparently we were doing this well before we became a country; in fact Upper Canada passed legislation about it back in 1845. I could understand that if we were living when she was alive, but our ancestors chose to keep the holiday even after she died in 1901. Why? She was the Queen at Confederation in 1867; she holds the record as the longest-reigning monarch (63 years); and she symbolizes the glories of the Victorian age. But in our northern country the holiday has come to signify the beginning of good weather, the banishment of frost (we hope!), and the weekend each year when we go camping for the first time and open up the cottage. Continue reading