Canada's Victoria Day AKA May Long Weekend

MAY 2020 UPDATE: It's always a good practice to celebrate responsibly but there's some extra weight to it this year. Before escaping quarantine and circulating with the masses, consider staying closer to home and having a small-scale shaker with only your closest friends.

The May long weekend is widely considered to be Canada’s unofficial start to summer. Here on BC’s Sunshine Coast, it kicks off our busy tourism season that’ll last until Labour Day.

Out west, May’s long weekend goes by May Two-Four and May-Long while in Ontario, it’s sometimes called Firecracker Day. But the holiday’s proper name is Victoria Day and it marks Queen Victoria’s birthday, which was May 24th.

As Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1837 until her death in 1901, Queen Victoria was also Canada’s queen until we received our independence in 1867.

After her death, parliament made Victoria Day an official holiday in honour of Her Majesty’s contributions to Canada over her 63-year reign.

In 1952, the holiday was moved to the Monday on or prior to May 24th, presumably to better allow Canadians to celebrate the late monarch’s birthday by shooting off fireworks and drinking beer at the lake.