Happy Birthday, Vickie!
Listen up, dear readers, as I will explain the reason for my upcoming three-day weekend: Victoria Day. Don't know what Victoria Day is? Well, neither did I, until I thought the if I'm going to take the day off I should have the decency of knowing WHY I'm taking it off.
Victoria Day is celebrated on the Monday on or before May 24 in honor of both Queen Victoria's birthday and the current reigning Canadian monarch's birthday. So, even though Queen Elizabeth celebrated her real 80th birthday about a month ago, her official birthday is on Monday. In Canada, Victoria Day is traditionally celebrated with fireworks. I've seen quite a few signs advertising fireworks locally. To the majority of Canadians the day is simply a holiday off from work, with little specific meaning, much like most legal holidays. Victoria Day is regarded as the beginning of the unofficial "summer season" in Canada, kind of like Memorial Day in the U.S.
My co-worker, Miss Bella, told me that the weekend is known as "May two-four (2-4) weekend". This has two meanings, the first is that the holiday usually falls around May 24th, and also, parties will include lots of beer drinking (a two-four is a case of 24 bottles of beer). There is a radio ad that I hear every morning that has a jingle that goes, "Twenty-Four for $24, a Buck a Beer" to the tune of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home." I've heard that a buck a beer is the lowest price that you can legally sell beer for in Canada.
A CANADIAN FACT!
The reigning Canadian Monarch has been in Canada for their official birthday twice: the first time being on 20 May, 1939, when King George VI was on a coast-to-coast tour of Canada. The second time was when Queen Elizabeth II was in Canada from 17 May 17th to May 25 2005, to mark the centennials of the entries of Saskatchewan and Alberta into Confederation.
Victoria Day is celebrated on the Monday on or before May 24 in honor of both Queen Victoria's birthday and the current reigning Canadian monarch's birthday. So, even though Queen Elizabeth celebrated her real 80th birthday about a month ago, her official birthday is on Monday. In Canada, Victoria Day is traditionally celebrated with fireworks. I've seen quite a few signs advertising fireworks locally. To the majority of Canadians the day is simply a holiday off from work, with little specific meaning, much like most legal holidays. Victoria Day is regarded as the beginning of the unofficial "summer season" in Canada, kind of like Memorial Day in the U.S.
My co-worker, Miss Bella, told me that the weekend is known as "May two-four (2-4) weekend". This has two meanings, the first is that the holiday usually falls around May 24th, and also, parties will include lots of beer drinking (a two-four is a case of 24 bottles of beer). There is a radio ad that I hear every morning that has a jingle that goes, "Twenty-Four for $24, a Buck a Beer" to the tune of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home." I've heard that a buck a beer is the lowest price that you can legally sell beer for in Canada.
A CANADIAN FACT!
The reigning Canadian Monarch has been in Canada for their official birthday twice: the first time being on 20 May, 1939, when King George VI was on a coast-to-coast tour of Canada. The second time was when Queen Elizabeth II was in Canada from 17 May 17th to May 25 2005, to mark the centennials of the entries of Saskatchewan and Alberta into Confederation.
posted by Unknown @ 5/19/2006 02:45:00 PM
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