Masaya Victoria Araw!
It’s Victoria Day dito sa Canada ngayon.
Para sa pinaka-Canadians, the holiday is the unofficial start of summer, with barbecues, beach picnics, or weekends at the lake (hindi bababa sa kung ang panahon cooperates).
But the Victoria Day holiday was originally created to celebrate the May 24 birthday of Britain’s Queen Victoria.
Queen Victoria, who governed the British Empire from 1837 hanggang sa kanyang kamatayan sa 1901, was the ruling monarch at the time of Canadian kompederasyon — when Canada became a nation in 1867.
Bilang isang Commonwealth country, Canada pa rin ay isang reyna, sa kasalukuyan Queen Elizabeth II.
Dahil sa 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.
Kaya ulo para sa beach ngayon, at nasaan ka man, offer a birthday toast to the queen!
Vancouver’s English Bay photo ©Carolyn B. Heller