Victoria Day celebrated in honour of Queen Victoria’s birthday. It is a federal Canadian public holiday celebrated on the last Monday preceding May 25.
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. Victoria Day also known as May Long Weekend, May Long, May Two-Four, May Run, Firecracker Day.
Following the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, May 24 was made by law to be known as “Victoria Day”, a date to remember the late queen, who was deemed the “Mother of Confederation”.

A portrait in Ottawa City Hall of Queen Victoria, first sovereign of a confederated Canada

Canada is the only country that commemorates Queen Victoria with an official holiday. On Victoria Day the Royal Union Flag is to be flown from sunrise to sunset at all federal government buildings including airports, military bases, and other Crown owned property across the country.
Across the country, Victoria Day serves as the unofficial marker of the end of the winter social season, and thus the beginning of the summer social calendar.
On Victoria day British Columbia hold a parade since 1898 in the monarch’s namesake city of Victoria, British Columbia. In nearby New Westminster, the Victoria Day weekend is distinguished by the Hyack Anvil Battery Salute, a tradition created during colonial times as a surrogate for a 21-gun salute. Other celebrations include an evening fireworks show, such as that held at Ashbridge’s Bay Beach in the east end of Toronto, and at Ontario Place, in the same city.
In Ottawa, the tradition Trooping of the Queen’s Colour ceremony takes place on Parliament Hill or at Rideau Hall on occasion. The reviewing officer in the ceremony is the Queen, with members of the Royal Family.

Status of Victoria Day in Canadian Provinces and Territories —
Provinces and TerritoriesStatus of Victoria Day
Alberta, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Yukon General holiday
Nunavut, New Brunswick General Holiday
Prince Edward Island General Holiday
British Columbia, Ontario, Saskatchewan Statutory holiday
Nova Scotia Non-statutory holiday
Newfoundland and Labrador Not a paid public holiday
Quebec National Patriots’ Day
In 2003 National Assembly of Quebec renamed the Victoria Day as National Patriots’ Day, commemorating the patriotes of the Lower Canada Rebellion of 1837. Victoria Day is not a paid public holiday in Newfoundland and Labrador, but is a government holiday. Nova Scotia, where it is also not a designated retail closing day, but is considered a “non-statutory holiday” and Prince Edward Island, although provincial legislation defines “holiday” to include Victoria Day. New Brunswick, a prescribed the Victoria Day as of rest on which retail businesses must be closed.

When is Victoria Day ?

  • Victoria Day in 2023 was on Monday, 22-May, 2023.
  • Victoria Day in 2022 was on Monday, 23-May, 2022.

Check all the historical dates for Victoria Day in below table.
Victoria Day
YEAR DATE
2023Monday, 22-May-2023
2022Monday, 23-May-2022
2021Monday, 24-May-2021
2020Monday, 18-May-2020
2019Monday, 20-May-2019
2018Monday, 21-May-2018
Source – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Day