Victoria Day is a federal public holiday in Canada and is celebrated every year on the last Monday before 25th May in honor of the birthday of Queen Victoria, while simultaneously serving as recognition of the official birthday of the reigning Canadian sovereign. Victoria Day is also informally seen as being the beginning of the summer season in Canada by many people.
The holiday was first observed even before the formation of Canada, and originally fell on the actual birthday of the sovereign. It continues to be celebrated in a variety of different ways on the fixed date all across the country, and has long been a peculiarly Canadian observance. Federally it is a statutory holiday, as it also is in six of the ten provinces in Canada and in all three of its provinces.
Since the Quiet Revolution, the same day has been unofficially referred to as Fete de Revolution in Quebec until ten years ago, back in 2003, when it was officially named National Patriot’s Day by provincial legislation. The first legislation in regards to the event was passed in 1845.
The great majority of workplaces in Canada are regulated either by the territorial or provincial government. This means that while Victoria Day is an officially recognized public holiday for federal purposes, the territory or province of residence is the one that decides whether an employee is entitled to a paid day off work.
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