Today is Victoria Day, the unofficial kick-off to summer, even if the weather isn't very summerlike. The traditions of Victoria Day have changed over the years, as the holiday has a history that is older than the country itself.
In 1845, shortly after Upper and Lower Canada merged to form the Province of Canada, Parliament wanted to create a shared holiday that could help bridge religious and cultural divides between English and French Canadians. Queen Victoria’s birthday, May 24, offered the perfect compromise. It was seen as a unifying symbol, a nod to both tradition and allegiance to the Crown, which at the time, was regarded as a protector of minority rights and a marker of Canadian identity distinct from the U.S.
By 1854, Victoria Day had already become a beloved celebration. Fast-forward to the 1890s, and Victoria Day was known as a patriotic celebration. During her Diamond Jubilee in 1897, efforts were made to officially enshrine her birthday perpetually, though that didn’t happen until after she died in 1901.
Victoria Day then became a day to remember the "Mother of Confederation," even as Canada’s reigning monarchs celebrated their birthdays at different times. Then, in 1957, the holiday took on another meaning in Canada. A royal proclamation that year made the holiday also the day to mark the reigning monarch's birthday, even if it isn't their birthday.
The creation of the long weekend is relatively new when looking back at the long history of Victoria Day. Before 1952, the holiday was always celebrated on May 24th. That year, the government set the date for the holiday to be the Monday preceding May 25th. This would create a consistent three-day weekend all Canadians could look forward to in late May, regardless of what the weather decides to do.
So while the name honours a long-reigning queen from a bygone era, Victoria Day has come to symbolize something thoroughly Canadian: a mashup of monarchy, multicultural compromise, and the unofficial kickoff to summer.