What Victoria Day honours
Victoria Day honours Queen Victoria, who was born on May 24, 1819 and reigned for more than sixty years, including over Canada. It is also the day on which Canada celebrates the official birthday of the reigning sovereign. In Alberta it is one of the general holidays, and in Quebec the same Monday is marked as National Patriots’ Day.
The Monday before May 25
The date is the last Monday before May 25, which means it is always between May 18 and May 24. When May 25 is itself a Monday, the holiday is the Monday before, on May 18. It is not simply the fourth Monday or the last Monday of May — in some years those give a different answer — so this page calculates it from the May 25 rule.
The countdown ends at the first moment of that Monday on your device’s clock. If you want to count to the start of the long weekend instead, set the Saturday yourself with the countdown to any date.
The May long weekend
In Alberta and much of western Canada the holiday is commonly called the May long weekend. It is traditionally seen as the unofficial start of the summer season: campgrounds open, gardeners begin planting, and many people head to the lake or the mountains. Some communities hold fireworks over the weekend.
The queen behind the name
Victoria became queen in 1837 and reigned until 1901, a period that included Canadian Confederation in 1867. Her name is all over the map: Victoria, the capital of British Columbia, was named for her, and so was Regina, the capital of Saskatchewan, whose name is the Latin word for queen. The holiday has kept her name even though it also celebrates the reigning sovereign’s birthday.
Counting down
The countdown timer times a packing list or a campfire, and the clock helps with ferry or park schedules. You can embed the countdown on a community page. Mother’s Day comes a week or two before Victoria Day, and Canada Day is about six weeks after it.
More countdowns
Need a different date? Use the countdown to any date or count up with time since a date.
Questions
What date is Victoria Day this year?
Victoria Day is the Monday before May 25, so it is always between May 18 and May 24. The countdown above always shows the next one, so it is right for the current year without you looking anything up.
Why is it called the May long weekend?
In Alberta and much of western Canada the long weekend that includes Victoria Day is commonly called the May long, simply because it falls in May. Many people use it to start camping or to plant the garden.
Is Victoria Day the same as Quebec’s National Patriots’ Day?
They fall on the same Monday. Quebec marks National Patriots’ Day on the Monday before May 25, the same date as Victoria Day elsewhere in Canada, but the two holidays honour different things.
Is Victoria Day a statutory holiday in Alberta?
Yes, it is one of Alberta’s general holidays. How it applies to you depends on your job and employer, so check the rules that apply to your workplace before you plan around the day.