Victoria Day is around the corner and you all know what this means: long weekend. To whom do we owe the first long weekend of the summer season?

In Canada the holiday is celebrated on the Monday preceding May 25th. Victoria Day is officially the Sovereign’s birthday. The Sovereign’s birthday was first celebrated in Ontario in 1845 in honor of the birthday of Queen Victoria of England – she was actually born in May 24. After the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, the Parliament of Canada passed an Act to establish a legal holiday named Victoria Day on May 24 in each year – or May 25 if May 24 fell on a Sunday. In 1952 an amendment to the Statutes of Canada established the celebration of Victoria Day as we now know it.

Throughout history, Victoria Day was also known as Empire Day and Commonwealth Day. In 1977 Canadians continued to celebrate Victoria Day in May when Commonwealth Day was moved to the second Monday in March. Not all of Canada celebrate this Holiday. For example, until 2003, Quebec celebrated Dollard Day in honor of the 17th century soldier, Adam Dollard-des-Ormeaux.

History of Mother’s Day

The origin of Mother’s Day goes back to the era of ancient Greek and Romans. But the roots of Mother’s Day history can also be traced in UK where a Mothering Sunday was celebrated much before the festival saw the light of the day in US. However, the celebration of the festival as it is seen today is a recent phenomenon and not even a hundred years old. Thanks to the hard work of the pioneering women of their times, Julia Ward Howe and Anna Jarvis that the day came into existence. Today the festival of Mothers day is celebrated across 46 countries (though on different dates) and is a hugely popular affair. Millions of people across the globe take the day as an opportunity to honor their mothers, thank them for their efforts in giving them life, raising them and being their constant support and well wisher.

Earliest History of Mother’s Day

The earliest history of Mother’s Day dates back to the ancient annual spring festival the Greeks dedicated to maternal goddesses. The Greeks used the occasion to honor Rhea, wife of Cronus and the mother of many deities of Greek mythology.

Ancient Romans, too, celebrated a spring festival, called Hilaria dedicated to Cybele, a mother goddess. It may be noted that ceremonies in honour of Cybele began some 250 years before Christ was born. The celebration made on the Ides of March by making offerings in the temple of Cybele lasted for three days and included parades, games and masquerades. The celebrations were notorious enough that followers of Cybele were banished from Rome.

Early Christians celebrated a Mother’s Day of sorts during the festival on the fourth Sunday of Lent in honor of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of Christ. In England the holiday was expanded to include all mothers. It was then called Mothering Sunday.

Wishing you all a very Happy Mother’s Day!

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