Canada has many holidays , a lot similar to holidays in the United States. One of their most popular holidays is Canada Day on July 1st. This day celebrates the joining of Canada’s three original provinces to form a nation in 1876. However, Canada did not become free of England until 1982. It is a day of pride, like how Independence Day is for people in the United States. It was originally called Dominion Day, for the Dominion of Canada in the British Empire. Canadians love this holiday and it means a lot to them.

Canada Day has a lot of history behind it. On July 1st of 1917, it was the 50th Anniversary of Confederation. The Parliament buildings were dedicated to the Confederation Fathers and the Canadian soldiers, who fought in Europe during the First World War. This was also the day a lot of Canadians started to recognize the holiday. From 1958 to 1968, the government organized celebrations every year. July 1st, 1967, was the 100th Anniversary of Confederation and a special ceremony was held, which included Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. From 1968 to 1979, a large multicultural celebration was presented on Parliament Hill every year but 1976. It was broadcasted on television across the country. The main celebrations, which were called “Festival Canada,” were held in the National Capital Region throughout the month of July. From 1980 to 1983 a new format was developed. This was that in addition to the festivities on Parliament Hill, the group tasked to plan the festivities for Canada’s national holiday started to encourage and financially support the establishment of local celebrations across Canada. Start-up funding is provided to support popular activities and performances organized by volunteer groups in hundreds of communities. In 1981, the tradition of fireworks began when fireworks lit up the sky in fifteen major Canadian cities. In 2010, festivities on Parliament Hill received royal treatment when Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh joined the festivities to celebrate Canada’s 143rd anniversary. In 2017, a wide range of activities all across Canada are held to mark the 150th Anniversary of Confederation. Attending Canada Day for the first time, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall join in the festivities on Parliament Hill to mark this milestone anniversary with Canadians. Most of this information was pulled from this article called “The History of Canada Day”. Canada is important to Canadians and there are a lot of things that happen in it and that happened in the past on this day. 

Traditions on how to celebrate Canada Day are widespread. There are parades. People have picnics and festivities. Sporting events and fireworks are also common. The Canadian Flag can be seen everywhere around the holiday. 

So Canada Day celebrates the start of the nation of Canada. It used to be called Dominion Day, and it was later changed to its current name. People started to celebrate it in 1917 around its 50th anniversary. The Queen has been known to celebrate it in Canada at Parliament Hill, along with other royals from England. People have all sorts of traditions for this day, but they are very similar to how we celebrate Independence Day in the U.S. Canada Day is a celebration of pride and honor to all Canadian citizens.