We have just finished our August long weekend. Few people call it by the proper name of Heritage Day week end. The Monday is referred to as Heritage Day.
In 1974 Alberta declared the first weekend in August to be Heritage Weekend. It's not a mandatory weekend. Businesses can stay open or closed. I think most people get time off for the weekend. Nova Scotia and the Yukon have the first weekend in August as a holiday but they celebrate something else.
The purpose of the week end is to celebrate our heritage. Again what happens is all over the map. Some communities have all kinds of heritage activities. The city supports the celebrations. Food, dance , music, language and culture are displayed. Face paintings seems to be a popular activity. It certainly gets the attention of the kids.
Edmonton has a city wide celebration with a huge music festival. It's wildly popular week end.
Our community had nothing scheduled. We just took the time and ran.
Stopping to reflect on our heritage is a very beneficial thing to do. We understand more things from our past. This makes other things in our world make more sense.
Now I know many other places get the first weekend in August as a long weekend. Did you have a long weekend where you live? That was the theme for your August long weekend?
Now being sentimental, I like August because my Dad's middle name was August!!!
No we don't celebrate a heritage weekend but it sounds like a good idea! One of my Great Grandfathers names was August:)
ReplyDeleteI think August was a very popular name at the time.
DeleteHi, we too had a long weekend in BC. It is called "BC Day". There are no special events planned for BC Day as it is just a time for getting together and relaxing with family and friends (according to Google and that is how I've always celebrate). I hope you enjoyed your Heritage Day.
ReplyDeleteI'm in trouble now. I didn't include B.C. as having an August long weekend. I'll have to check my sites a little better.
DeleteI would just take the time and forget the running.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean!
DeleteI like the idea of Heritage Day or week. August? Is it because he was born in August? My middle name is translated Summer because that's when I was born.
ReplyDeleteYes, he was born in August. August was a popular name at the time. Summer sounds like a great name, but curiosity has me wondering what the Japanese form is.
DeleteThere are all kinds of theme days, weekends and weeks here, but not a heritage one. It is nice to be aware of your heritage I think.
ReplyDeleteOur heritage is very mixed. originally it was European. lately we have many asians and Africans moving here so the heritage is changing.
DeleteWe celebrate Heritage weekend and Monday is New Brunswick Day.....with lotsl of garden veggies on BBq, games n lots of chocolate as International Chocolate Festival is going on at the moment as well......seeing as we have the "Ganong" Plant right here in SSTN.....Ganong Chocolates, the very best.
ReplyDeleteI'm in trouble again. My source did not give new Brunswick as having a holiday. Chocolate sounds pretty good to me.
DeleteI need longer weekends sometimes. The days now meld that I am retired. I enjoy festivals like this, it sounds fun to maintain.
ReplyDeleteI tell people I never get long weekends...I'm retired all the time.
DeleteIt was a long weekend here, as well, but a lot of people were still working. Either way, it was extremely quiet around the city. I guess some people went away.
ReplyDeleteI'm in trouble again. My source did not give Ontario as having a long weekend.
DeleteNo, we didn't have a long weekend here, but I lost myself in a good book and was glad when I finished it so I could come back to the real world! :-)
ReplyDeleteWell, you're retired so you wouldn't get a long weekend anyway!!!
DeleteHi Red, Interesting and a good idea. In Seattle we had Seafair. Lots of folks took a long weekend and didn't show up for work but whether it was an approved absence or not ... I don't know. :-)
ReplyDeleteI think seafair would be a great heritage to celebrate since you're on the coast.
DeleteWe do. Provincially it's a holiday marked as the Civic Holiday, but regionally speaking some places give it a name with local meaning- Toronto calls it Simcoe Day after a governor general back in the day, while we call it Colonel By Day in honour of our founder.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like anything goes.
DeleteWe didn't do much this past weekend, but yesterday (Tuesday) was National Night Out, when communities come together in the evening to celebrate the community. The weather here was perfect for it.
ReplyDeleteNational night out sounds like a great idea.
DeleteDid you get any of the storms? Calgary looked terrible!!!
ReplyDeleteWe didn't get the Calgary storm but we do get wild weather like Calgary.
DeleteI didn't even realise it was a long weekend until Sunday and then was miffed because the things I'd set out to do on Monday morning had to be put off until yesterday. That's one of the things about being retired.
ReplyDeleteThat's what you get for being retired and on a distant island!!!
Deletemy father's first name was august. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat name. I think it was popular at the time.
ReplyDeleteI don't guess we had a long weekend here..I wouldn't notice if we did since I am home all the time. Same thing with Fridays...no different to me than any other day now that I don't work anymore. I like the name August- but I have never know a person bestowed with it.
ReplyDeleteHave a super any day Red!
The best thing about a statutory holiday when you are retired is that the next day you do not have to go to work. ;)
ReplyDelete