The 'May Two-Four' long weekend is as distinctively Canadian as the two-four with which it is often celebrated.
Many Canadians may have the idea that
Victoria Day is an internationally observed event that connects us —
however quaintly and tenuously — with other remnants of the old British
Empire as we collectively celebrate our colonial heritage by pulling up
lawn chairs and raising a glass or a beer bottle to the tubby little
Empress of Canada, India, Australia, Britain and points between.
Couldn’t be further from the truth.
Canada is the only country in the world to celebrate Victoria Day,
and the ‘May Two-Four’ long weekend is as distinctively Canadian as the
two-four — a case of 24 bottles of beer — with which it is often
celebrated.
There is a Victoria Day in Australia — but it’s a completely
different critter, a localized event marking the founding of the
southern Aussie state of Victoria (as a separate colony in 1851) and
it’s celebrated, coincidentally, on July 1.
continue reading the article by Alan Parker @ Macleans.ca
On the same shelf:
- Victoria Day vs. May 2-4: What The May Long Weekend Signifies To Canadians- The Huffington Post Canada
-- "Happy Victoria Day! Or is that May 2-4?" -- "Toronto-based
illustrator Kinnon Elliott (who you might remember from her entertaining
Valentine's Day infographic) has come up with a infographic that looks
at the historical roots of the holiday."
- When Is May Long Weekend In Canada? And What Exactly Is It?
The Huffington Post Canada
- Victoria Day is not Sacred - Haliburton Master Gardener
- Victoria Day is not a statutory holiday in the eastern provinces of PEI, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland / Labrador, where it may be only a holiday ... About.com
- Although Victoria Day is not a holiday in Great Britain and never has been since Queen Victoria passed, it is one of enduring attachment in Canada. Google News
- Victoria Day still means something to Canadians, Ottawa Sun
