May Every Day | Victoria Day (Canada) ~Guest Post by Mary-Lou

May Every Day is a series of (almost) daily blog posts for May 2021 sharing days and weeks that we celebrate or observe. Some of these days are well-known holidays while others are more obscure observances, some are celebrated internationally while others are more nationally focused, some are significant while others are just plain FUN!

Please join me in welcoming my friend

& today's guest blogger

Mary-Lou from Ontario, Canada.

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Wikipedia says this about May 24th – Victoria Day:

Victoria Day Victoria Day is a federal statutory holiday, as well as a holiday in six of Canada's ten provinces and all three of its territories. Initially set to honour Queen Victoria's birthday. It is informally considered to be the beginning of the summer season in Canada.

The holiday has been observed in Canada since at least 1845, originally falling on Victoria's actual birthday (May 24). The holiday has always been a distinctly Canadian observance and continues to be celebrated across the country. It falls on the Monday between the 18th and the 24th and so is always the penultimate Monday of May (May 24 in 2021 and May 23 in 2022).

As time changes connections, Canada is no longer an annex of the British Empire, but a willing member of the Commonwealth, the Victoria Day weekend informally took on other names. It’s now either the May Long Weekend or fondly referred to as the May Two Four weekend. Two Four, 2 4 refers to the size of beer container many/most people purchase at the start of the weekend, a case of 24 beer bottles or cans.

In Ontario, May long weekend is also the date we use as calendar marks for things like when to plant our tender annual plants and vegetables, as it is unlikely that after this date, we will get snow and/or heavy killing frost.

It is also the weekend that for many signals the wearing of white shoes, you stop after Labour Day in September by the way. There are lots that don’t follow this “rule” & wear white shoes any time they feel like.

For many, May 2 4 weekend signals the time to open the cottage after a long winter season, hence the need for beer substance. It is also the weekend that begins the camping season, which is also when the black flies appear on mass and torment all. These tiny little flies have a big bite, which can cause great swelling and pain at the bite site. If you have never been tormented by these little nasties, consider yourself truly fortunate.

Fireworks, for the May weekend is a hotly debated/argued pro/con issue. It is the first of the three big holiday weekends that fireworks could be called for. The other two long weekends would be for Canada Day in July and Labour Day in September. It is written, in most community by-laws, that Monday is technically the only day of these holiday weekends you can use fireworks, but it seems that many ignore that … I’ll say no more.

Besides the fireworks debate over the weekend, the other hotly contended debate, even within civilized families, is who makes the best potato salad. If you Google potato salad you get back hundreds of recipes, all with little subtle differences. I can settle this argument right now, my Mother’s recipe makes the best, ever!

Now you’ll have to excuse me, I have a pair of white sandals to find and a potato salad to make.

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Thank you for this delightful and informative read Mary-Lou! I hope you are having a wonderful Victoria Day/May 2 4 Long Weekend!

Did you know today is also National Scavenger Hunt Day? Each summer, Mary-Lou hosts a Summer Photography Scavenger Hunt on her blog. It's always FUN, so be sure to pop over and check out this year's list - the hunt begins June 1.