Holidays in Canada
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| date | English name | French name | remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | New Year's Day | jour de l'an | Statutory. |
| (varies) | Good Friday | vendredi saint | Statutory. Typically celebrated in April; see Easter article for details. |
| (varies) | Easter Monday | Pâques | Typically celebrated in April; see Easter article for details. |
| Monday preceding May 25 | Victoria Day | fête de la Reine | Statutory. Celebration of the Queen's birthday. In Quebec, Victoria Day and fête des patriotes (Commemoration of the Patriotes Rebellion) are celebrated on the same day. |
| July 1 | Canada Day | fête du Canada | Statutory. Commemoration of Canada's 1867 Confederation. |
| First Monday in September | Labour Day | fête du travail | Statutory. |
| Second Monday in October | Thanksgiving | action de grâce | Statutory. Thanksgiving is not celebrated on the same day as it is in the U.S. |
| November 11 | Remembrance Day | jour du souvenir | Commemoration of Canada's war dead. |
| December 25 | Christmas | Noël | Statutory. |
| December 26 | Boxing Day | lendemain de Noël | Statutory. Day when shops sell off excess Christmas inventory. |
Although not official holidays, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Labour Day, and Hallowe'en are traditionally celebrated by Canadians.
Each province also has its own provincial holiday or holidays. The include St. Jean Baptiste Day in Quebec, Natal Day in PEI and Nova Scotia and Discovery Day in Newfoundland and Labrador. Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Saskatchewan have civic holidays on the first Monday in August. In British Columbia it is called B.C. Day, while in Ontario, it is named differently in each city. In Toronto it is Simcoe Day while in Ottawa it is Colonel By Day, for instance. Alberta celebrates Family Day on the third Monday of February.
The observance of individuals' religious holidays is widely accepted (see multiculturalism). For example, some school children and employees take days off for Jewish holidays, or Eastern Orthodox observances according to the Julian calendar.
Proposed holidays
In recent years there has been a call for the Canadian government to recognize St. Patrick's Day as a national holiday. Currently it is an official holiday only in Newfoundland and Labrador. This proposal has been promoted by the Guinness corporation.
The other leading candidate for a new holiday is a weekend in February to celebrate the anniversary of the Canadian flag, or more likely a general "Heritage Day". February 15 is already designated as National Flag of Canada Day, but this is simply a day of commemoration, not a statutory holiday.
The major Canadian breweries have long lobbied for a holiday in June.
Some Canadians believe that the country does not have enough holidays (in comparison to the United States, and the United Kingdom, and although these nations have about the same number of nationally recognized holidays, they generally receive more days off of work/school). Proposals for more work holidays are strongly opposed by many employers, however.
See Also
External links
- Public holidays and other important dates (http://www.canadianheritage.gc.ca/progs/cpsc-ccsp/jfa-ha/index_e.cfm) at Canadian Heritage
- Ontario public holidays (http://www.gov.on.ca/LAB/english/es/factsheets/fs_public.html)