You may not know it, but today is Canada Day, or la fête du Canada, as the French speakers in Canada call it. Formerly known as Dominion Day, Canada Day celebrates the creation of the Constitution Act of 1867. This act joined Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Canada province (now divided into Ontario and Quebec) into a single country. However, the first official celebration was only held in 1917 to honour Canada’s 50th birthday.

Since Canada is both a federal parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy, Queen Elizabeth II is the monarch of the country and has attended Canada Day celebrations in 1990, 1992, 1997 and 2010. If you want a bit of gossip, this year it will be Prince William and Kate’s turn to celebrate with the Canadians on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

So, how do Canadians celebrate on this day? There are no set traditions, and activities range from barbecues, parades and block parties to sporting events and bonfires. Every year Canadian Heritage, the body responsible for promoting Canadian culture, sponsors several of these activities. However, this celebration always ends in Ottawa with a huge display of fireworks. Even Canadian expatriates do not forget to celebrate this day wherever they are in the world. For example, Trafalgar Square in London has witnessed such celebrations since 2006, as this is where Canada House – belonging to the High Commission of Canada in London – is located.

Did you find all this Canadian-ness interesting? Well, then do not forget to check out Canadiana Connections, a blog about a US-based Canadian lady who loves her country. Also, the website Canada Day is a good starting point to learn more about this celebration.