family

8 Facts About Canada Day You Might Not Know

Delicious Canada day chocolate cake,
Delicious Canada day chocolate cake,

Canada Day is a day of national pride for Canadians. It’s the day we celebrate our sovereignty and the official birth of our country. Although we’re right next door to America, most Americans won’t know these facts about Canada Day that I’ve put together. These little tidbits are quite interesting and give non-Canadians an insight into one of our biggest (most fun) national holidays.

Interesting Facts About Canada Day

These facts about Canada Day are probably only known to Canadians or world history buffs, but I think they’re kind of interesting, so I thought I’d put them together for your perusal. Enjoy!

We Didn’t Go to War

Our country actually had a pretty decent relationship with Great Britain. There is a lot of history and facts that go along with this, but basically all of the Upper and Lower Canadian colony leaders got together and decided to ask Queen Victoria if we could be our own country. She said yes, which I think was very dignified of her.

Canada Day is Smack in the Middle of the Year

Here’s an interesting fact about Canada Day. It’s almost exactly in the middle of the year. July 1st is the 182nd day of the year. After that, there are 183 days left to go.

[tweetthis]DYK Canada Day is smack in the middle of the year? [/tweetthis]

Canada Day is a Floating Holiday (sort of)

According to the Holidays Act, Canada Day is July 1st unless July 1st is a Sunday, then Canada Day is recognized on July 2nd. If July 1st is a Saturday, most businesses still take the following Monday off. While the official Canada Day observance may float, we all still do our thing on the 1st.

The Capital is the Place to Be

Here’s a fact that’s also a tip. Ottawa is the place to be on Canada Day. Hundreds of thousands of Canadians flock to the capital to celebrate our independence with a concert and fireworks. I have also always been a massive fan of visiting Niagara Falls for Canada Day. The fireworks celebrations there are excellent also.

[tweetthis]How do you celebrate Canada Day?[/tweetthis]

Some Americans Celebrate Canada Day with Us

One of the more fun facts about Canada Day is that some Americans celebrate it with us, and not just those of Canadian descent. Because they are less than a mile apart, since the 50s, Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario have had a combined Canada Day/Independence Day celebration called the international Freedom Festival. A huge fireworks display is set off over the Detroit River, the only thing separating the two cities.

We Were Visited by Royalty A Couple of Times Now But This One Is Special…

In 1967, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated Canada Day on Parliament Hill in Ottawa to mark the Centennial anniversary of the holiday.

Some Famous Folks Born on Canada Day 

More fun facts about Canada Day. There are several famous people who were born on Canada Day.

  • Dan Akroyd
  • Lady Diana
  • Missy Elliott
  • Jamie Farr
  • Debbie Harry
  • Estee Lauder
  • Carl Lewis
  • Alan Ruck
  • Liv Tyler
  • Pamela Anderson
  • Rod Gilbert
  • Sydney Pollack
  • Olivia de Havilland

 

Facts About Canada Day You Probably Didn’t Know

I hope you enjoyed reading these facts about Canada Day. I certainly had a good time gathering these for you. Canada Day is a holiday celebrating independence and Canadian pride, and I hope these facts about Canada Day were as much fun for you to read as they were for me to write. Happy Canada Day, everybody!