Celebrate Victoria Day
Victoria day is Canada’s oldest public holiday, dating back to at least 1845. Originally used to celebrate the birthday of Queen Victoria, who was known as the “mother of Confederation”. It was a public holiday devised to bring together the English and French Canadians at a time when loyalty to the crown was seen as a key trait that distinguished Canada from the United States. It was held on the Queen’s official birthday, May 24th, until the 1950s when it became a variable date to allow for a long weekend.
It is a distinctly Canadian tradition and is still celebrated across the country with annual parades, fetes, carnivals and sporting events. It is now more informally celebrated as the start of the summer season in Canada, with ski resorts closing and many parks, recreational areas and outdoor pursuit centres opening up for the long weekend.
Cottage owners often view this weekend as the time to reverse the winterization of their cottage and gardeners in Canada will view this weekend as the beginning of spring; when one can be fairly optimistic that frosts will be gone until the autumn.
The holiday is anecdotally known, in some parts of Canada, as ‘May-Two-Four’, a double meaning that refers to the original date of the celebration and the slang for a case of twenty four beers; a popular drink for the long weekend.
It is a great time to shake off the winter blues and get out and about. Perhaps go camping, catch a local parade or fair, go for a hike with friends or family or just enjoy a picnic by a lake. There is lots to do over the weekend, check out this link for the Vancouver and lower mainland area Victoria Day Weekend in Vancouver or this link for details of the celebrations taking place in the city sharing it’s name with the day Victoria Day Weekend in Victoria. There are just as many events in other provinces so take a look and see what you can find.
Long weekends can mean a sudden increase in activity or long days on your feet at events. Pop an original P3 cream travel size tube, spray or roll-on into your bag, so you can have pain relief at your fingertips.
Thanks to the natural ingredients you can re-apply as often as necessary and it won’t interact with any celebratory drinking. If you are heading out for a day near lakes or streams or planning on a long hike, the P3 Calm has received anecdotal reviews as a great natural insect repellent; thanks to the added natural lavender oil.
Most of all, enjoy yourselves. I hope there is good weather for all and a chance to let your hair down and relax. I hope you try something new or rediscover the love of something old. Most of all I wish you a Happy Victoria Day.
