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rfmcdonaldToday is Victoria Day in Canada.
I, for one, am glad that Canada celebrates the birthday of the nominal ruler of an aggressively expansionistic and often terribly racist global empire: I get to enjoy a weekend! It makes me think that, perhaps, Canada should become an imperialist power itself so we can get to enjoy more holidays: the 13th of May to celebrate Canada's transformation, under an over-powerful Prime Minister's Office, from a parliamentary democracy under NDP majority rule to personal imperial rule; the 20th of September to celebrate the taking of New York City in the Great North American War; the first week of February to celebrate the Armed Forces' defeat of the Centauran invaders in Jovian space; et cetera.
Ah well, I can only dream.
The Sovereign's birthday has been celebrated in Canada since the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901).
May 24, Queen Victoria's birthday, was declared a holiday by the Legislature of the Province of Canada in 1845.
After Confederation, the Queen's birthday was celebrated every year on May 24 unless that date was a Sunday, in which case a proclamation was issued providing for the celebration on May 25.
After the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, an Act was passed by the Parliament of Canada establishing a legal holiday on May 24 in each year (or May 25 if May 24 fell on a Sunday) under the name Victoria Day.
The birthday of King Edward VII, who was born on November 9, was by yearly proclamation during his reign (1901-1910) celebrated on Victoria Day.
[. . .]
From 1953 to 1956, the Queen's birthday was celebrated in Canada on Victoria Day, by proclamation of the Governor General, with Her Majesty's approval. In 1957, Victoria Day was permanently appointed as the Queen's birthday in Canada. In the United Kingdom, the Queen's birthday is celebrated in June.
I, for one, am glad that Canada celebrates the birthday of the nominal ruler of an aggressively expansionistic and often terribly racist global empire: I get to enjoy a weekend! It makes me think that, perhaps, Canada should become an imperialist power itself so we can get to enjoy more holidays: the 13th of May to celebrate Canada's transformation, under an over-powerful Prime Minister's Office, from a parliamentary democracy under NDP majority rule to personal imperial rule; the 20th of September to celebrate the taking of New York City in the Great North American War; the first week of February to celebrate the Armed Forces' defeat of the Centauran invaders in Jovian space; et cetera.
Ah well, I can only dream.
