Celebrations Around the World: Canada Day

It’s always great to learn about the different celebrations that take place around the world. Our Day Translations blog heads to Canada to share with you all that we know about Canada Day. 

Let’s dive right in and learn more about this important celebration day. 

 

The History of Canada Day

Canada Day is celebrated yearly to commemorate Canada’s Independence. The country was once a colony of Britain and on July 1, 1867 the British North America Act took effect and this is how Canada became an independent nation. 

At first, this day was referred to as Dominion Day, because at the time of the Act being passed, the country was divided into Dominions namely: Upper and Lower Canada, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

After the Act was passed, Canada was now divided into Quebec and Ontario which then made provisions for what would have been their neighbouring colonies at the time, to join in at a later date. This is how Canada as it is today was formed. 

It was not until 1982 that the British Act was removed from Canada’s constitution. For decades however, Dominion Day was not celebrated by a great number of Canadians because they still viewed themselves as British citizens. In 1917, things began to change. Dominion Day became more popular at that time and the celebrations picked up. 

Moving further along in history, in 1967 Canada celebrated 100 years as a nation and Canadian Patriotism picked up the pace. Canadians started to refer to the Day and its celebrations as Canada Day. 

It wasn’t until 1982 that Canada was fully adopted officially, leaving behind the old name, Dominion Day. 

 

How Canada Day is Celebrated today

It isn’t a celebration if a parade isn’t in the mix of things, or at least that’s what Canadians believe. That said, it wouldn’t truly be Canada Day without lots of parades and other outdoor activities happening right across the country. 

The capital city, Ottawa, hosts the biggest of all the Canada Day celebrations. There are festivals to attend, lots of special activities, free concerts and of course the fireworks.

It is tradition for everyone to dress up in red and white (the canadian flag colors). Many people paint their faces red and white or get the Canadian flag painted on their cheeks.

Of course, we know that the country is home to the best maple syrup out there. Many families start off their celebrations with a hearty Canadian breakfast with pancakes and maple syrup.

The beauty of Canadian culture lies in the fact that there’s no one-way to celebrate Canada Day. Each province and the cities and towns within them celebrate the day in different ways. Barbeques are hosted, festivals and parades and even citizenship ceremonies take place on Canada Day. 

Canadians within the diaspora also celebrate Canada Day and do so by hosting festivals in their local areas. It is usually done on or near to the marked date for the first of July. 

 

Fun Facts About Canada

We bet you didn’t know some of these fun facts we’re about to share with you about Canada. Keep reading to find out what they are!

1. It is the world’s second-largest country. It is separated into 10 provinces and 3 territories. 
2. Canadians love beer! This is evident whenever Canada Day celebrations come around. Up to 1.2 million liters of beer is consumed during that time.
3. The Beaver is a national symbol in Canada. They refer to them as The Mighty Beaver. Although they may look cute, they can be very vicious animals, so it’s always best to be careful whenever they’re around.
4. Canada has the longest coastline in the world. The coastline is 151,600 miles or 243, 976 km long. The coastline is also very beautiful.
5. The official languages are English and French. However, outside of Quebec, there are not that many fluent French speakers. It is however taught in schools.
6. There are lots of lakes in the country. There are more freshwater lakes there than in any other country. This also means that they have a great water supply.
7. It’s a popular belief in the rest of the world that Hockey is the Canadian national sport. Canadians love hockey but their national sport is actually Lacrosse. There’s no doubt however that Canadians do love hockey and produce some of the best hockey players in the world.

 

Let’s Wrap Up

From the team here at Day Translations we’d just like to say, Happy Canada Day! We hope you’ve gained some perspective on the country and a bit of its history. We also enjoyed sharing those fun facts with you.

Don’t forget that the team here at Day Translations is available 24/7 to help with all your translation and interpreting needs. Visit our website or give us a call today!