Victoria Day Facts & Worksheets | Origin, Things to Do, Canada (2024)

Victoria Day is an official national holiday in Canada observed annually on the first Monday before May 25 to honor Queen Victoria (1876–1901). Informally the day is regarded as the beginning of summer, and the country has followed the tradition of commemorating holidays in honor of the British royal family.

See the fact file below for more information on Victoria Day or alternatively, you can download our 29-page Victoria Day worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

ORIGIN

• Canada’s Upper and Lower parliaments were replaced in 1841 by a single legislative assembly for the Province of Canada. The new body sought opportunities for English and French Canadians to find common ground that transcended religious and cultural barriers.
• The notion of a national holiday commemorating the youthful Queen Victoria’s birthday, May 24, appealed to English and French Canadians.
• Loyalty to the Crown was a significant cultural characteristic that differentiated Canadians from Americans at the time.
• While the King or Queen’s birthday has been observed in Canada for generations, it was more of a military celebration than a civilian holiday before Queen Victoria rose to the throne in 1837.
• The monarch’s birthday was the day local militias engaged in mandatory yearly training in 18th-century British North America.
• Each community’s non-disabled men would march with their weapons in the town square before toasting the king at local taverns and alehouses.
• When the royal family visited, they would attend these reviews and celebrations. During the 1790s, Queen Victoria’s father, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, lived in British North America and attended military inspections in the spring.
• In 1845, the legislative assembly of the Province of Canada declared the Queen’s birthday to be an official public holiday, transforming the monarch’s birthday from a mainly military occasion to a civilian holiday.
• When Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in 1952, Victoria Day became her official birthday in Canada, even though her actual birth date was April 21.
• Victoria Day remained a national holiday on May 24 when Queen Victoria died in 1901 and was succeeded by her son, Edward VII.
• While the rest of the English-speaking world celebrated Empire Day on May 24, Canada honored Queen Victoria as a “Mother of Confederation” who encouraged Canadian unity and self-government and chose Ottawa as “the Westminster of the wilderness.”

ABOUT QUEEN VICTORIA

• Victoria was born on May 24, 1819, at Kensington Palace, the only daughter of Edward, Duke of Kent, George III’s fourth son.
• She inherited the throne after the death of her father because her uncles, George IV, Frederick Duke of York, and William IV, had no legitimate children who survived to be in the line of succession.
• Her father, King George, died when she was 11 years old, and his uncle, William IV, took the throne. Victoria made her first journey after two years, a three-month tour of Wales.
• Victoria, as a child, enjoyed drawing and painting, as well as writing in her journal. Despite being born sixth in line, Victoria became Queen at age 18 upon the death of her uncle King William IV in 1837.
• Queen Victoria enjoyed the second-longest reign in British history after Queen Elizabeth II.
• Queen Victoria (1876–1901) controlled one of the world’s biggest empires as Queen of Great Britain and Ireland and Empress of India from 1837 until she died in 1901.
• Her reign is known as the Victorian Era, a time in British history linked with economic prosperity, industrial development, and imperial expansion. She was the last of the Hanover dynasty.
• She married Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha in 1840 and had nine children from whom many European royal dynasties derived.
• Aside from the seven assassination attempts, Queen Victoria’s saddest years began in 1861, when her loyal husband, Prince Albert, died.
• Queen Victoria was nicknamed the “Grandmother of Europe,” as she had 42 grandchildren in royal lineages in Russia, Germany, Romania, Sweden, Norway, and Spain. Queen Victoria’s grandchildren during WWI were Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, Tsarina Alexandra of Russia, and George V of the United Kingdom.

VICTORIA DAY

• Victoria Day was designated as King George VI’s official birthday in Canada in 1939. It fell during his and Queen Elizabeth’s tour of the country — George VI’s actual birthdate was December 14.
• With Queen Elizabeth II’s succession in 1952, Victoria Day became the Queen’s official birthday in Canada (actual date of birth April 21, 1926) and was established on the Monday before May 25 each year, giving rise to the present long weekend and as in the nineteenth century, Victoria Day signaled the start of spring.
• The modern holiday has become synonymous with opening seasonal retreats (cottages, cabins, and chalets), barbecues, and outdoor festivities.
• In this context, it is known colloquially as the “May long weekend” and the “Victoria Day long weekend,” although it is also known as “May Two-Four” in some regions of Canada.
• While the festival was officially recognized as Victoria Day in Québec, it became informally known as the fête de Dollard (after Adam Dollard des Ormeaux, a New France colonist and soldier) throughout the 1920s.
• The provincial government renamed the Québec holiday Journée Nationale des Patriotes (National Patriotes Day) in 2002.
• This holiday commemorates the Patriotes’ quest for political independence and the establishment of a democratic system of government during the 1837–38 Rebellions.
• They created an online petition in 2013 to rename Victoria and First Peoples Day. While well-known Canadians like Margaret Atwood supported the effort, the petition only received 1,500 signatures, and the holiday remained intact.
• Victoria Day in Canada is unique across the globe. Schools in some areas of Scotland close on the Monday before May 25 to commemorate Queen Victoria’s contributions to Scottish society, but Victoria Day is not a national bank holiday.
• On May 24, Belize observes Commonwealth Day, the successor to Empire Day. Only in Canada is Queen Victoria’s birthday still a national holiday.

THINGS TO DO ON VICTORIA DAY

• Canada’s Wonderland: A central theme park north of Toronto, Canada’s Wonderland contains roller coasters, children’s rides, and a water park. For Victoria Day, they also put up a big fireworks display.
• Visit a Historic Site: Several historic sites host special activities. The Gibson House, Scarborough Museum, and Fort York are just a few attractions in Toronto.
• Victoria Day Festival: Visit the Victoria Day Festival in downtown Ottawa, Canada’s capital. It’s a family event featuring games, activities, music, and fireworks to round off the night.

CELEBRATIONS

• During the 1840s, the new national holiday was relatively quiet. Still, festivities developed during the nineteenth century — Canadians, it appeared, loved an event that blended the prevalent allegiance to the Crown with the shift to warmer weather.
• In 1854, 5,000 people gathered outside Government House in Toronto to celebrate Queen Victoria’s 35th birthday. Toronto’s raucous festivities set the tone for the rest of Canada.
• By the time of Confederation in 1867, municipalities in Quebec and Ontario were holding all-day Victoria Day celebrations, complete with parades, picnics, sports contests, military reviews, and fireworks displays.
• As more provinces joined Confederation, the formal celebrations extended across Canada.
• Victoria Day was only sometimes part of a long weekend because it was celebrated on the Queen’s birthday, May 24, regardless of the day of the week.
• Tributes
  • Several cities host parades on the event, the most notable being held in the monarch’s namesake city of Victoria, British Columbia, since 1898.
  • The Victoria Day weekend in adjacent New Westminster is noted by the Hyack Anvil Battery Salute, a colonial-era custom devised as a substitute for a 21-gun salute:
    • Gunpowder is put between two anvils.
    • The top one is overturned.
    • The charge is detonated, flinging the upper anvil into the air.
  • Other celebrations include a nightly fireworks display, such as those staged at Ashbridge’s Bay Beach in Toronto’s east end and Ontario Place in the same city.
  • Before the Trudeau government abolished them in 1968, Royal salutes (21-gun salutes) were fired in Ottawa.
  • Provincial capitals, Montreal and Vancouver, perform Royal salutes not only on the Queen’s official birthday but also on the Queen’s Accession Day, the Queen’s actual birthday, the Queen’s Coronation Day, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Birthday, and the Birthday of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

THE SINKING OF THE SS VICTORIA ON THE THAMES

• On Queen Victoria’s 62nd birthday in 1881, the celebrations in London, Ontario, ended in tragedy.
• The riverboat SS Victoria, transporting hundreds of people back to central London from Springbank Park celebrations, crashed, killing at least 182 passengers.
• The riverboat was planned with a maximum capacity of 400 passengers, but it carried 650. Passengers gathered on the ship’s right side to witness a rowing club race at Cove Bridge.
• The weight caused the ship to capsize and the top deck to fall. The people who perished, most of them women and children, drowned fewer than 10 meters from the shore. The sinking is one of Canada’s most prominent maritime tragedies.

Victoria Day Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Victoria Day across 29 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Victoria Day worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Victoria Day, an official national holiday in Canada observed annually on the first Monday before May 25 to honor Queen Victoria (1876–1901).

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

• Victoria Day Facts
• Hail the Queen
• Celebrate Victoria Day
• Grandmother of Europe
• Victorian Era
• Unscramble Me
• Other Celebrations
• The Matriarchs
• Poetry For The Monarch
• Holiday Card
• Then vs. Now

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Victoria Day?

Victoria Day is a Canadian public holiday celebrated on the last Monday before May 25th. It honors Queen Victoria’s birthday, who was the monarch of the United Kingdom when Canada was first established as a dominion in 1867.

Why is Victoria Day celebrated?

Victoria Day is celebrated to honor the birthday of Queen Victoria, who played a significant role in Canada’s history. It also serves as a marker for the unofficial beginning of the summer season in Canada, with many outdoor activities and events taking place over the long weekend.

How is Victoria Day celebrated?

Victoria Day is celebrated with various festivities, including parades, fireworks, picnics, and outdoor gatherings. Many cities and towns host events and ceremonies to commemorate the holiday. Fireworks displays are a common highlight of the celebrations.

What is the history of Victoria Day?

Victoria Day originated in the mid-19th century to celebrate Queen Victoria’s birthday. It was first established as a holiday in Canada in 1845. However, it gained even more significance when Victoria became the reigning monarch during the time of Confederation in 1867, marking the birth of the Dominion of Canada.

Is Victoria Day celebrated only in Canada?

Yes, Victoria Day is primarily celebrated in Canada. While it has historical connections to the United Kingdom, it is not widely observed there. In Canada, it is a federal holiday in all provinces and territories except Quebec, where National Patriots’ Day is celebrated instead on the same day.

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