Canada Day
– B2-C1 (upper-intermediate to advanced) –
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Flag of Canada. Photo courtesy of Illegitimate Barrister at Wikimedia Commons. The current SVG encoding is a rewrite performed by MapGrid. - This vector image is generated programmatically from geometry defined in File:Flag of Canada (construction sheet - leaf geometry).svg., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32276527
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Every July 1st is a civic holiday in Canada called, “Canada Day.” This day commemorates Canada becoming an officially independent country from the United Kingdom in 1867.
Canadians across the country celebrate this holiday in a variety of ways:
dressing up in red and white (the colours of the Canadian flag)
having barbecues with family and/or friends
watching a broadcast speech from the Prime Minister of Canada
attending local parades
going to town/city festivals, often outdoors
to attend musical concerts
to go on amusement park rides
to have a picnic
to eat from food trucks
to spend time with loved ones
to hear speeches
to wave Canadian flags
to watch a firework display
and more…!
Generally speaking, Canada Day events are family friendly and evoke much positivity, particularly in Anglo-Canada (see blog post, “37 Words Related to Common Canadian Geography”). However, since a series of unmarked graves of Indigenous children on and near residential school properties made news headlines in 2021 (see blog post, “National Day For Truth And Reconciliation”), it has not been uncommon to see some individuals passionately protesting Canada Day. While these protests are relatively peaceful, there is sometimes a sense of tension leading up to and on July 1st.
As such, Canada Day has evolved into a day of appreciation for peace and diversity for some, whereas for others it has become a day of protest, as well as a day of education on Indigenous issues in Canada.
Do you have a similar holiday in your country? What typically happens on that day? What do you do on that day? Let me know in the comments below.