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Before reading the following article, there are a few words that are important to understand:

Francophone

1. (NOUN, with a lower-case f) a French-speaking person

2. (ADJECTIVE, with a capital F) related to a French-speaking region or nation

Francophonie

1. (NOUN) the distinct cultures, traditions, beliefs, and organizations of all French-speaking peoples around the world

Francosphere

1. (NOUN) the parts of the world where French is considered the official language

Now that there is more clarity on this vocabulary, let’s begin…

On an official level, Canada is considered a bilingual country, meaning its government services are offered in both English and French. This does not mean, however, that all Canadians can speak both languages fluently. Most Canadian-born locals are either monolingual in just English or just French, or they are bilingual in English or French, plus a heritage language. March 20th every year marks this bilingual nature of the country with a holiday called “Francophonie Day,” otherwise known in the nation as “Journée internationale de la francophonie.” This holiday celebrates and brings awareness to the French side of Canada’s bilingualism.

The holiday’s origin dates back to 1970, when an agreement was signed among African governments, such as those of Senegal, Tunisia, and Niger, to unify their nations through their shared use of the French language. The goals of this agreement related to the promotion of the cultures within their respective countries, as well as a dedication to continued solidarity and cooperation in social and political matters. Since then, this agreement has evolved to include many more Francophone nations, including Canada, with a new aim of promoting the natural diversity (ethnic, racial, cultural, religious, political, etc.) found within the Francosphere as a whole.

As such, Francophonie Day is a significant day of celebration in Canada, particularly among its Francophone communities. As French is a minority language in the country, and because Francophonie in Canada is so diverse (with over 10 distinct French dialects and Francophone cultures), celebrating and spreading awareness of this diversity is even more important to the nation.

So, how do Canadians celebrate? Many Canadian organizations, communities and regions, as well as government bodies like schools, libraries, and local administrations will host events in observation of Francophonie Day during either March or the summertime. These events take place in both English-speaking and French-speaking regions. This allows Canadians to celebrate the holiday in a variety of ways:

• attending a music festival dedicated to francophone singers and musicians

• enjoying a film festival featuring francophone directors and actors

• exploring an arts festival promoting francophone painters, sculptors, photographers, and performances such as plays, comedy acts, etc.

• going to a Francophonie market to buy artisan goods and foods traditional to local Francophone communities

• taking a French language course

• learning about Francophonie and its history both here in Canada and the world

• and much more..!

To learn about the specific activities that are being held across Canada this year in honour of Francophonie Day, you can either follow #RVFranco on X and Instagram or visit the RVF Dialogue Foundation website.There are hundreds of Canadian events to explore this year!

Does your country or culture celebrate Francophonie Day? Do you have a holiday similar to Francophonie Day? Let me know in the comments below.

To learn about more Canadian holidays, including vocabulary related to these holidays, check out the Holidays link in the Tags section of our blog.

To learn even more about Francophonie Day in Canada, check out the following links:

• 2024 Canadian Government Statement

• Canada and Its Relationship with La Francophonie