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Every year on July 1st, Canadians everywhere celebrate the day that Canada officially became a country in 1867. Similar to the 4th of July in the United States, Canadians frequently celebrate by spending time with friends and family, parades, barbecues, and fireworks. Though each area of Canada often has its own celebrations, there are a few notable celebrations that occur in larger areas of Canada.
What is perhaps the biggest celebration occurs in a place called Parliament Hill in Ottawa, which is the nation's capital. There are always free concerts held by Canadian artists coming from a variety of different cultural backgrounds. Canada is a bilingual country and as such, many of the performances are held in both French and English with artists spanning from Europeans to francophones from Africa. There are also a number of other activities held for all age groups. For the kids, inflatable slides and games are set up to keep everyone happy. For the adults, there are activities such as swing dancing, zumba, and comedy shows. Finally, at night there is a giant fireworks display over the Parliament building for everyone to enjoy while eating a variety of foods from vendors in the area.
American cities sitting on the Canadian border have also been known to help the Canadians celebrate Canada Day and in return, the Canadians help the Americans in these cities celebrate the 4th of July. One of the most notable examples of this is the Canadian city of Windsor, which borders on Detroit. Separated by the Detroit river, both sides light up the sky with their own fireworks to make one very large display for all to enjoy.
Canada Day celebrations extend even beyond North America. Every year, Canada Day celebrations are held in Trafalgar Square in London, England with firework displays, street hockey, and other Canadian traditions. Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan have also been known to celebrate Canada Day at their base.
All in all, Canada Day is always an exciting day for Canadians all around the world. With so many activities going on, many Canadians often look forward to this very special holiday.
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