It’s День Виктории here in Canada today.

For most Canadians, the holiday is the unofficial start of summer, with barbecues, beach picnics, or weekends at the lake (at least if the погода cooperates).

But the Victoria Day holiday was originally created to celebrate the May 24 birthday of Britain’s Queen Victoria.

Королева Виктория, who governed the British Empire from 1837 не до своей смерти в 1901, was the ruling monarch at the time of Канадский конфедерация — when Canada became a nation in 1867.

As a Commonwealth country, Canada still has a queen, currently Королева Елизавета II.

С 1957, Victoria Day has been the official day to celebrate the sovereign’s birthday in Canada. Although Queen Elizabeth’s actual birthday is April 21, it’s honored on Victoria Day.

Так курс на пляже сегодня, and wherever you are, offer a birthday toast to the queen!

Vancouver’s English Bay photo ©Carolyn B. Хеллер