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Reflections: Victoria Day after Queen Victoria

How a birthday celebration became the first long weekend of the 'summer' season

Victoria Day was established in 1845 as a special event for everyone to celebrate Her Majesty’s birthday, which was May 24, 1819. Queen Victoria died on Jan. 22, 1901.

Why do we still have a long weekend in honour of her birthday?

Reflections: Victoria Day after Queen Victoria Back to video

In late April 1901, the federal government announced that May 24 would continue to be a public holiday in deference to the “unanimous wish of the people of Canada.” The Atwood Bee newspaper of May 24, 1901, also reported that “King Edward has decided that his birthday shall be celebrated May 24 of each year thus continuing the holiday. (May 24) will henceforth be celebrated as Victoria Day.”

During every year of Edward’s reign, which lasted until 1910, there was a similar proclamation that his birthday was to be celebrated on his mother’s birthday in May. Kings George V and Edward VIII celebrated their actual birthdays separately, though the Victoria Day holiday tradition continued. King George VI, who reigned from 1936 to 1952, had his official birthday celebrations in early June. Though in 1939, during a Royal Visit to Canada and the United States, he had his official celebration on May 20. The holiday was moved to the Monday before May 25 in 1952 so the celebration would always result in a long weekend.  In 1957, it was declared the permanent official birthday in Canada for Victoria’s great- great-granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II. The tradition continues with King........

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