Family Day (Canada and others)
Family Day is celebrated in the provinces of Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan. This holiday falls on the third Monday in February and celebrates the importance of families and family life. It is meant as a day where the whole family can take part in activities together.
In the provinces of Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan most people have the day off work and schools are generally closed. Most businesses and organizations are also closed
Family Day was first held in Alberta in 1990. It was supposed to reflect the values of family and home that were important to the pioneers who founded Alberta. It gave the workers an opportunity to spend more time with their families. Family Day was introduced in Saskatchewan in 2007 and Ontario in 2008. One of the main reasons for introducing Family Day was that there was a long period when there were no holidays from New Year’s Day until Good Friday.
Around the World:
Family Day is not just celebrated in Canada … for example in Australia the first Tuesday of November is known as Family and Community Day and in South Africa, the day after Easter Sunday is Family Day.
Louis Riel Day (Canada)
Louis Riel was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba and a leader of the Métis people of the Canadian prairies. He led two resistance movements against the Canadian government. He sought to preserve the rights, culture and heritage of the Métis. In the province of Manitoba, Louis Riel Day celebrates Riel’s life and achievements and is observed on the third Monday of February.
On September 26, 2007 Manitoba passed a bill establishing the third Monday in February as a statutory holiday; Louis Riel Day. In other areas of Canada, specifically Toronto, Louis Riel Day is observed in November as this was the anniversary month of the execution of Louis Riel in 1885.
Heritage Day (Canada)
Heritage Day is an opportunity to celebrate the architectural heritage and historic places of Canada. The Heritage Canada Foundation promotes the third Monday in February each year as Heritage Day and has long advocated adopting this date as a national holiday.
For Heritage Day 2010,Canada’s Olympic year, HCF is celebrating the Heritage of Sport and Recreation.
President’s Day (US)
Today is President’s Day in the US, also sometimes known as Washington’s Birthday. It’s a federal holiday, established to honor the February birthdays of the nation’s first president, George Washington, who helped found the country, and the nation’s 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, who helped keep the country together.
I guess all of the celebrations over the last couple of days just go to show that we will do anything for a holiday!!