Happy Victoria Day

Or as we Canadians say - May 24!

What are we celebrating? Well officially it's to celebrate
Queen Victoria's birthday . She was born on May 24, 1819. Following the death of three uncles and her father, she became Queen of the United Kingdom on June 20, 1837 and reigned until her death on January 22, 1901. Victoria is still the longest-reigning monarch of the United Kingdom.

The monarch's birthday has been celebrated in Canada since before the beginning of Queen Victoria's reign. After her death, in 1901, May 25 became known as Empire Day. In 1952, Empire Day was moved to the Monday before May 25 and since 1953, the official birthday of Queen Elizabeth II has been celebrated on this date in Canada. In 1958, Empire Day became known as Commonwealth Day, which was moved to the second Monday in March. The Monday before May 25 then became known as Victoria Day, which is a Canadian statutory holiday.

Victoria Day serves as the unofficial marker of the end of the winter season, and the beginning of the summer. Victoria Day is also a mark of the beginning of the cottage season. Gardeners in Canada use  the May 24 weekend as a safe time to fully plant gardens with no chance of frost.The holiday is also known as May 24, referencing both the date and the slang term for a case of beer in Canada. (24 bottles). Fireworks are lit off at night as well - kids often refer to it as Firecracker Day.

And this blogger is off to plant her veggies....and maybe quaff a beer or two. Hope you're all having a great weekend as well.