# Do Canadians still celebrate Victoria Day with fireworks? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 19, 2014, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-canadians-still-celebrate-victoria-day-with-fireworks/701797 "2014-10-19T12:56:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-canadians-still-celebrate-victoria-day-with-fireworks/701797/1 "2014-10-19T12:56:28Z")
England has Guy Fawkes Day, November 5th, for going crazy with fireworks; the US has the Fourth of July. From the [Montreal Gazette, May 19th, 1927](http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=J28tAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-4sFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5728%2C2804723) in an ad for Andrews Liver Salts: > [@](#): > > “Twenty-Fourth of May, the Queen’s Birthday”, rhyme the eager, vigorous children, happy in their holiday play and in their once-a-year frolic with soaring sky-rockets and swirling pin-wheels. Is this still the occasion for annual fireworks in Canada? ---
**Author:** ![Cyros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Cyros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyros)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-canadians-still-celebrate-victoria-day-with-fireworks/701797/2 "2014-10-19T13:07:55Z")
It may be in some areas but I’ve never noticed big displays in the different areas of Canada that I’ve lived in. The May long weekend is more about getting out camping in my experience. The big fireworks day in Canada is July 1st ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-canadians-still-celebrate-victoria-day-with-fireworks/701797/3 "2014-10-19T13:09:58Z")
It seems odd that it should have lasted that long. Victoria had been dead for 26 years, and succeeded by two further monarchs, by 1927. Frankly, I have not heard of Victoria’s birthday ever being a holiday in Britain, even when she was alive. I am British, and I have never heard of having fireworks or any other public revels to celebrate any monarch’s birthday (official or real), let alone a long dead one. The Queen does the [Trooping of the Colour](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trooping_the_Colour) on her official birthday, but there is no public revelry. I remember Andrew’s Liver Salts, though. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-canadians-still-celebrate-victoria-day-with-fireworks/701797/4 "2014-10-19T13:17:18Z")
Definitely is around here. Of course, it’s not really about anything particularly Victorian. But you definitely get fireworks around “the May two-four long weekend”, which kicks off our Canadian summers. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-canadians-still-celebrate-victoria-day-with-fireworks/701797/5 "2014-10-19T13:20:55Z")
We don’t usually celebrate with fireworks. We celebrate by camping instead, snow or shine. ---
**Author:** ![FluffyBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecb155/32.png) [@FluffyBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FluffyBob)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-canadians-still-celebrate-victoria-day-with-fireworks/701797/6 "2014-10-19T13:39:25Z")
I don’t think anybody but HR and calendars call it Victoria Day. 'May Long" and ‘May 2-4’ (a beer reference of course) are typical. It has nothing to do with Victoria, and everything to do with impending summer. Any fireworks are simply a result of partying. It is a terrible time of year to go camping (at least in southern Alberta) because it is guaranteed to rain, with high probability of wet snow in or near the mountains. It just that at that point there have already been many afternoons of sunny warm weather that allow us to trick ourselves into thinking there is going to be some beautiful hot summer weekend to enjoy. Sunday Morning consists of many bedraggled muddy and hung-over campers strewn across the land. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-canadians-still-celebrate-victoria-day-with-fireworks/701797/7 "2014-10-20T15:06:44Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > It seems odd that it should have lasted that long. Victoria had been dead for 26 years, and succeeded by two further monarchs, by 1927. Frankly, I have not heard of Victoria’s birthday ever being a holiday in Britain, even when she was alive. It’s still a [local holiday in parts of Scotland](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Day_%28Scotland%29), although these days it’s easily ignored. ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-canadians-still-celebrate-victoria-day-with-fireworks/701797/8 "2014-10-20T15:32:48Z")
> [@FluffyBob](#): > > I don’t think anybody but HR and calendars call it Victoria Day. 'May Long" and ‘May 2-4’ (a beer reference of course) are typical. It has nothing to do with Victoria, and everything to do with impending summer. Any fireworks are simply a result of partying. This. If there was a more relevant event in May that could be used as a pretext for a three-day weekend, Canada would go with that. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-canadians-still-celebrate-victoria-day-with-fireworks/701797/9 "2014-10-20T15:38:18Z")
Are you asking about big professional fireworks displays, or people setting them off in their backyard? 'Cuz, the former, nope. The latter, around here, oh, yes. Not just on May 24 proper, but for a week before and after. ---
**Author:** ![D18](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@D18](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D18)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-canadians-still-celebrate-victoria-day-with-fireworks/701797/10 "2014-10-20T15:58:27Z")
Growing up in Southern Ontario, the small town a few small towns over from mine did their summer fireworks on May 24 well into the 70s. [As recently as 2012](https://www.canadaswonderland.com/article/media-center/Victoria-Weekend-Fireworks-at-Canadas-Wonderland), Canada’s Wonderland (a theme park just north of Toronto) did a Victoria Day fireworks. I can’t tell from quick googling whether they have on the past few years or not. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2014, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-canadians-still-celebrate-victoria-day-with-fireworks/701797/11 "2014-10-21T03:14:39Z")
> [@D18](#): > > [As recently as 2012](https://www.canadaswonderland.com/article/media-center/Victoria-Weekend-Fireworks-at-Canadas-Wonderland), Canada’s Wonderland (a theme park just north of Toronto) did a Victoria Day fireworks. I can’t tell from quick googling whether they have on the past few years or not. They still do them. Here’s a list of Victoria Day fireworks displays in the Toronto area from this year (Ashbridge’s Bay, Wonderland, Dundas): > **[Victoria Day fireworks in Toronto 2014](https://www.blogto.com/sports_play/2014/05/victoria_day_fireworks_in_toronto_2014/)** > > Victoria Day Fireworks in Toronto don't quite feature the pomp of Canada Day, but if you want to get out there and watch things burn in the sky, you'… EDIT: Don’t forget the Rush song “Lakeside Park”, as well: Everyone would gather On the twenty-fourth of May Sitting in the sand To watch the fireworks display ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2014, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-canadians-still-celebrate-victoria-day-with-fireworks/701797/12 "2014-10-21T03:44:44Z")
Of course. Nobody cares about Queen Victoria. It’s an excuse to have a long weekend, drink beer, and set off fireworks. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2014, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-canadians-still-celebrate-victoria-day-with-fireworks/701797/13 "2014-10-21T08:26:34Z")
Cracker night in Australia - when we used to be able to buy them - was always on the Queen’s Birthday long weekend in June. I remember many cold nights racing around the neighbourhood and blowing things up. ---
**Author:** ![jiHymas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/439d5e/32.png) [@jiHymas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jiHymas)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2014, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-canadians-still-celebrate-victoria-day-with-fireworks/701797/14 "2014-10-21T08:46:08Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > They still do them. Here’s a list of Victoria Day fireworks displays in the Toronto area from this year (Ashbridge’s Bay, Wonderland, Dundas): > [Victoria Day fireworks in Toronto 2014](http://www.blogto.com/sports_play/2014/05/victoria_day_fireworks_in_toronto_2014/) A bit more detail from [the CBC](http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/victoria-day-2014-fireworks-what-s-open-what-s-closed-1.2644795). It really is a big deal - no parking for miles around and enormous crowds. As an aside … there’s a book [Not on Queen Victoria’s Birthday](http://www.amazon.ca/Not-Queen-Victorias-Birthday-Story/dp/0002113341) about a British-owned mine in Spain that was running 364 days a year. Christmas? Yes. New Year’s? Yes. But not on … ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2014, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-canadians-still-celebrate-victoria-day-with-fireworks/701797/15 "2014-10-21T12:35:50Z")
Large city fireworks display every Victoria Day, check! (Well anticipated and attended, every year!) Lots of household fireworks being fired off, check! (Less than when I was a kid, but still happening!) Still calling it Victoria Day, check! (No real reference to her birthday though, more holiday and beer, yay!) (Of course, I do live in a city called London, so there’s that!) ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2014, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-canadians-still-celebrate-victoria-day-with-fireworks/701797/16 "2014-10-21T13:17:12Z")
In a word - yes [at least, here in southern Ontario]. Sill do fireworks, still call it “Victoria Day”. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2014, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-canadians-still-celebrate-victoria-day-with-fireworks/701797/17 "2014-10-21T14:22:45Z")
When it was instituted it was what the British would call a “bank holiday”. It means the banks and all government affiliated offices are mandated to close. As the idea of opening Sundays and holidays to merchants became widespread, more and more things were open over the weekend. After all everybody has a holiday, so there’s coin to be made! When these changes first occurred, employers were often allowed to open but were required to pay extra wages as it was a mandated holiday day. Cops, nurses, firemen, all get extra wages. Each of these changes shifted things a bit. When I was a child you couldn’t go to a movie on Sunday, but now you can drink on Good Friday, you don’t have to order food to get booze on a Sunday, etc, etc. For all the changes we’ve seen there is no way in hell we’re going to give up a three day weekend in May. And why would anyone give up fireworks? Bundle your kids up for Fun, fun, fun! (It’s a right of passage for high school kids to go off camping. Adventure! Independence! No parents! But, as noted, it’s a terrible weekend for weather. It’s always dodgey, but the insufferable insistence of youth overrides wisdom and the imagined teen festival in the woods turns into, fire won’t burn rain, leaking tent cold, Poorly prepared food, still learning liquor episodes. The worst part being, by far, having to plaster a big smile on, like it was freaking Eden, for the parents who are visibly dying to gloat! )