Feast
of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Boxing
Day
Canada Day
Coptic New Year
Icelandic Festival
Polar Bear Swim Day
Thanksgiving
Remembrance
Day
Victoria Day
Waffle Day
Acadians celebrate this day. Acadians are a religious group and this national Acadian holiday is very important to them. Acadian arrived in Nova Scotia in 1604. In 1704, the Acadians were forced to live somewhere else by the order of the British Government. The noisiest part of the day starts at 6:00 PM. The Acadians blow whistles, bang pot and pans together, and beat drums. This celebration is called "tintmarre."
Boxing Day gets its name from the 19th century English custom of giving boxes or money to servants and family. It used to be called St. Stephen's Day.
Canada Day is Canada's national birthday. The first Canada Day was on July 1st, 1867. It used to be called Dominion Day. O' Canada is Canada's national anthem. It officially became the national on Canada's 100th birthday (July 1st, 1967).
This new year is calculated when the constellation Canis Major, or the dog star, Sirius, disappeared from the fall night sky. The day when Sirius appears back into the sky is Coptic New Year. About 4,000 years ago in Egypt, the Coptic New Year meant that the Nile River would flood the farms. Coptic New Year is also known as Egyptian New Year.
The Icelandic Festival is also known as "Islendingadagurinn." It has been celebrated since 1890. The weekend is special for family reunions. Delicious food, tug-of-war, fireworks, a concert, and a parade in which a replica of a Viking boat is used. The most special event is the Viking Challenge. The challenge is actually a pillow fight between two people on a pole sitting just above the water. The loser gets wet!
This holiday is celebrated in Nanaimo, British Columbia on the eastern shore of Vancouver Island. This holiday is celebrated on Boxing Day. On this day people jump into the frigid waters of Canada and swim with the Polar Bears!
Close friends and family get together for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving dinner includes turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, maple syrup, and wild rice.
Thousands of soldiers that died in World War I were mostly buried in Belgium's Flanders Fields. World War I ended on exactly 11:00 AM on November 11th, 1918- the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. Remembrance Day is also known as Armistice Day. Remembrance Day is a remembrance day for the soldiers the died in World War I and II.
This holiday was celebrated since 1952. It is also known as Queen Victoria's birthday. Queen Victoria was Queen for so long that her birthday has become a holiday! Canadians also honor Queen Elizabeth II on this day, but her birthday isn't until April 12th.
Swedish- Canadians celebrate this holiday. The Swedish word for Lady Day is "Varfruddagen," which sounds a lot like "Vaffeldagen," which is Swedish for Waffle Day.
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