Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Happy Birthday, Canada!



O Canada!
Happy Birthday to you from your friends in the United States!


Canada Day (French: FĂȘte du Canada) is Canada's national holiday.
It is celebrated on July 1.




HISTORY OF CANADA DAY

It celebrates the creation of the Dominion of Canada through the British North America Act 1867, which came into effect on July 1, 1867, uniting three British territories � the Province of Canada (southern Ontario and southern Quebec), Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick � into a federation. (See Canadian Confederation.)

The holiday itself was formally established in 1879 and was originally called Dominion Day, making reference to the Canadian-originated term 'dominion' to describe the political union, at a time when the Fathers of Confederation were hesitant to use a name such as the Kingdom of Canada. The name was changed to Canada Day on October 27, 1982.

It is a federal holiday also celebrated by all provincial governments and most businesses across Canada. Quebec also has Moving Day on July 1st, due to the fact that most leases there begin and end on that day, where lots of people move and change residences. In Newfoundland and Labrador, July 1 is also recognised as Memorial Day and commemorates Newfoundland's heavy losses during World War I in the Battle of Beaumont Hamel as part of the Battle of the Somme.

CANADA DAY TRIVIA

The celebrations in Ottawa are particularly lavish. Every Canada Day, hundreds of thousands gather on Parliament Hill to celebrate Canada's birth. Canadian flags abound, and some go as far as to paint their faces in Canadian colours.



Love to you all!

13 comments:

Vinny "Bond" Marini said...

Nice tribute.

EG CameraGirl said...

Thank you ever so much, Mary!

Canada Day is indeed a big event in Ottawa. However this year in Canada's largest city (Toronto) city workers are on strike. What a bummer! Very few festivities there this year.

Luckily I live NORTH of the city. We're expecting city dwellers to travel north for fireworks tonight.

Desert Songbird said...

Very nice and that photo? Makes me want to jump in right now.

Anonymous said...

Happy Canada Day :) Thanks for the info as well Aloha :)

Rabbit, rabbit

Terry said...

aw mary...this is so beautiful!
i just wish there were more patriotic people here where i live.
bernie and i and the little red car went searching today for some nice flags and they were so scarce that we decided to take a drive out into the country and take a bunch of camera shots at the cherry trees...they are in season here in the niagara peninsular..
if it hadn't of been for face book. and the kind canadian and american bloggers, here in welland anyways, you wouldn't even know it was canada day!!!

thanks so much!!...love you!! love terry

Anonymous said...

This Canadian, now Floridian retiree, thanks you very much. It's a little bit of home.

Anonymous said...

Thank you so very much for the tribute, the history lesson and the beautiful picture.

Queen-Size funny bone said...

I have only been there briefly and would love to go back and explore.

Snowbird said...

I remember being in Banff once for Canada Day. It was a blast. A huge parade followed by an enormous birthday cake for everyone!

BTW, I think Oh Canada is one of the best National Anthems ever written!

at the cottage said...

Thank you Mary.

It is a nice day here, I watched the celebrations on Parliament hill in Ottawa on TV. I just came in from standing on the beach and watching the wonderful fireworks displays around the bay. We could a couple 1- - 15 m across)
We were also treated to several smaller displays here on our beach :)

I have my flag out on my deck and a lapel pin.

We also have great neighbours, oops neighbors to the south :0)) Thank YOU

Maddy said...

Yeah! And yes, we're back in the nick of time. All I have to do now is make the Rice Krispie treats.
Cheers

Travis Cody said...

Thanks for the history!

SandyCarlson said...

Very nice, Mary!