WWI Trilogy

Navigating the Heartache WWI Brings

Queen Victoria

What is Victoria Day and Why Do Canadians Celebrate It?

March 25, 2020 By Melina Druga Off

In my novel, Angel of Mercy, Hettie’s birthday and her marriage to Geoffrey Bartlette correspond with the celebration of Victoria Day.  If you’re American, you may be unaware of this holiday or why Canadians celebrate it.

The holiday commemorates the birthday of Queen Victoria who was born May 24, 1819.  It did not become a federal holiday, however, until after the queen’s death in 1901.

Unofficial observances of the holiday began in the mid-19th century.

So what was a Victoria Day celebration like before 1901?

It included:

  • Picnics
  • Parades
  • Music
  • Lighting displays
  • Athletic competitions
  • Gun salutes
  • Cheers for the queen
  • Fireworks

The holiday became a patriotic one by the 1890s and, therefore, included displaying and waving the Union Jack.

Contemporary Victoria Day Celebrations

After 1901, other parts of the British Empire celebrated Empire Day on May 24.  In Canada, however, it remained Victoria Day.

“Canada honoured Queen Victoria as a ‘Mother of Confederation’ who encouraged Canadian unity and self-government and selected Ottawa as ‘the Westminster of the wilderness,’” the Canadian Encyclopedia explains.

In the 21st century, the holiday is celebrated on the Monday preceding May 24.  It is considered the unofficial start of summer.

Contemporary Victoria Day is still celebrated with parades, food and fireworks.

Where to Purchase the WWI Trilogy

This post is a companion piece to Melina Druga’s WWI Trilogy: Angel of Mercy, Those Left Behind and Adjustment Year.  The trilogy focuses on Hettie and her family as they navigate the challenges and heartbreak World War I brings.

Angel of Mercy:  A nurse reluctantly sacrifices her career for marriage. An impending war will change her, and her husband’s, life forever.  Available in eBook, paperback and hardcover.  Click here for a full list of retailers.

Those Left Behind:  The brewing winds of war will soon rip the family apart. Available in eBook, paperback and hardcover.  Click here for a full list of retailers.

Adjustment Year:  A war nurse returns home. Society expects her to carry on as if the Great War never happened. But how can she?  Available in eBook, paperback and hardcover.  Click here for a full list of retailers.

CategoryDaily Life - Victorian and Edwardian Eras
Tagsholidays

About The Author

Melina Druga writes about the past because although school history classes may have been boring, the past was not.  Her era of expertise, and obsession, is 1890-1920 with a particular focus on the Great War and how it affected the lives of ordinary people.  Druga is the author of the WWI Trilogy.