The Fête nationale du Québec ("Quebec National Holiday") is the official day of Quebec, a province of Canada. The festivities occur on June 23 and June 24 and are organized by the Comité organisateur de la fête nationale ("national holiday organizing committee"). Originally, June 24 was a holiday honouring the patron saint of Canada, St. John the Baptist. The day still is in fact very often called la Saint-Jean by the population of Quebec. ... June 23 is the 174th day of the year (175th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 191 days remaining. ... June 24 is the 175th day of the year (176th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 190 days remaining. ... In several forms of Christianity, a patron saint has special affinity for a trade or group. ... John the Baptist (also called John the Baptizer or John the Dipper) is regarded as a prophet by at least three religions: Christianity, Islam, and Mandaeanism. ...

Although the holiday only has official status in Quebec, it is also celebrated by francophones in other Canadian provinces and in the United States as a festival of French Canadian culture. In these contexts, it is more often called Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day.

Origins

The origins of the traditional festivities are more than 2000 years old. Among several European peoples, the summer solstice was the object of pagan celebrations. Fires were lit during the night in this period of the year when the days are longest. With the arrival of Christianity, the celebration of the event remained; however, it took a new spiritual significance. The celebration of the Saint-Jean-Baptiste was a very popular event in the France of the Ancien régime, and it is celebrated as a religious feast day in several countries, like Denmark. Illumination of Earth by Sun on the day of summer solstice on northern hemisphere The summer solstice is an astronomical term regarding the position of the Sun in relation to the celestial equator. ... Christianity is the worlds largest religion. ... Administrative map of ancien régime France Ancien Régime means Old Rule or Old Order in French; in English, the term refers primarily to the social and political system established in France under the Valois and Bourbon dynasties. ...

The tradition landed in North America with the first French colonists. According to the Jesuit relations, the first celebrations of this Christian day in New France took place around 1638. World map showing location of North America A satellite composite image of North America North America is the third largest continent in area and fourth in population after Asia and Africa in area and population and Europe in population. ... The Society of Jesus (Latin: Societas Iesu), commonly known as the Jesuits, is a Roman Catholic religious order. ... New France (French: la Nouvelle-France) describes the area colonized by France in North America during a period extending from the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 to the cession of New France to the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1763. ... Events March 29 - Swedish colonists establish first settlement in Delaware, called New Sweden. ...

Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day

In Lower Canada, the celebration of Saint-Jean-Baptiste day took a patriotic tone in 1834 on the initiative of one of the founders of the newspaper La Minerve, Ludger Duvernay, who would later become the first president of the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society. In the spring of 1834, Duvernay and other Patriotes attended the celebrations of the first St. Patrick's Day in Montreal. This would have given him and others the idea of organizing something similar for all the Canadiens and their friends. Lower Canada was a British colony in North America, at the downstream end of the Saint Lawrence River in the southern portion of the modern-day province of Quebec. ... 1834 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Ludger Duvernay (January 22, 1799 - November 28, 1852) was born in Verchères, Quebec. ... The logo of the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society. ...

In 1834 George-Étienne Cartier's "Ô Canada! mon pays, mes amours" was first sung during a grand patriotic banquet gathering about sixty Francophones and Anglophones of Montreal in the gardens of lawyer John McDonnell, near the old Windsor station. The Canada of the song is of course French Canada (Lower Canada), today southern Quebec. Present at this banquet are many reformist politicians such as O'Callaghan, Perrault, Brown, Rodier, Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine and mayor of Montreal Jacques Viger. George-Étienne Cartier The Honourable Sir George-Étienne Cartier ( September 6, 1814– May 20, 1873) was a French-Canadian statesman and Father of Confederation. ... The lyrics to Ô Canada! mon pays, mes amours, a French Canadian song, were written by George-Étienne Cartier are and not to be confused with the other O Canada, which today is the official anthem of Canada. ... A Francophone is a person who speaks French natively or by adoption (i. ... An anglophone is someone who speaks English natively or by adoption. ... {{Canadian City/Disable Field={{{Disable Motto Link}}}}} Motto: Concordia Salus (Salvation through harmony) Ville de Montréal, Québec, Canada Location. ... John Martin McDonnell (born 8 September 1951) is Labour member of Parliament for Hayes and Harlington in England. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Charles Perrault, 1665 Charles Perrault (January 12, 1628 - May 16, 1703) was a French author. ... Brown is a color produced by mixing small intensities of red and green, orange and blue, or yellow and purple pigment. ... Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine. ... Jacques Viger (May 7, 1787 – December 12, 1858) was the first mayor of Montreal. ...

Following the defeat of the Patriotes Rebellion and the military repressions which followed, the day was no longer celebrated for several years. Flag used by the Patriotes between 1832 and 1838 The Lower Canada Rebellion is the name given to the armed conflict between the rebels of Lower Canada (now Quebec) and the British colonial power of that province. ...

In 1843, Duvernay established the charitable Association Saint-Jean Baptiste in order to have the Saint-Jean Baptiste celebrated that year. The association was chartered in 1849 with the mission of promoting social and moral progress. (See Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society.) 1843 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1849 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The logo of the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society. ...

The celebrations were supported by the Catholic church and started to be primarily religious around that time. Fires were still lit at night, but also the first Saint-Jean-Baptiste parades were organized. They became an important tradition over time. The procession of allegorical floats was introduced in 1874. From 1914 to 1923 the processions were not held. 1874 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1923 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...

For the June 24 of 1880, the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society organized the gathering of all francophone communities across North America. The event was called the Convention nationale des Canadiens français. On this occasion, the citizens of Quebec City were the first ones to hear the "Ô Canada" of Calixa Lavallée. It quickly became popular and was selected as the national anthem of French Canada by the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society. (English words were later written, and the song achieved popularity in the rest of the country. In 1980 "O Canada" became the official national anthem of Canada. Prior to this date, there was no official anthem specific to the Dominion of Canada.) 1880 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Motto: Don de Dieu feray valoir (Gift of God shall make prosper) Area: 547. ... A sketch of Lavallée from 1873 Calixa Lavallée, ( 1842 – January 21, 1891), a French-Canadian musician, composed the music for the Canadian national anthem O Canada. He was born at Verchères, Quebec. ... 1980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. ...

In 1908, Pope Pius X designated John the Baptist as the patron saint of the French-Canadian nation. 1908 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Pope Pius X (1903-1914), pictured in 1904, wearing the 1834 Triple Tiara of Pope Gregory XVI Saint Pius X, né Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, (2 June 1835 - 20 August 1914) was Pope from 1903 to 1914, succeeding Pope Leo XIII. He was the first pope since the Counter-Reformation Pope...

After the Quiet Revolution, Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day became very political. The religious symbolism associated with the celebrations was rejected by the younger generations. Jean Lesage, Daniel Johnson Sr. ...

In 1968, an incident occurred during the traditional St-Jean-Baptiste parade. With the new Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau in attendance on the eve of a general election, a riot broke out, and 290 people were arrested. Trudeau was filmed refusing to take cover or leave the grandstand when the rioters pelted it with rocks, as well as bottles containing paint and acid. The scene was broadcast on Radio-Canada's and CBC's evening news. Many saw it as an open act of courage, and it impressed the electorate. The incident contributed to his Liberal Party winning a significant majority the next day. 1968 was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... The Right Honourable Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau PC, CC, CH, QC, MA, LL.L, LL.D, FRSC (October 18, 1919 – September 28, 2000) was the fifteenth Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 3, 1979, and from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984. ... The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known by the abbreviation CBC, is Canadas government-owned radio and television service. ... The Liberal Party of Canada (French: Parti libéral du Canada) is Canadas largest political party. ...

In 1969, the little St. John the Baptist icon was destroyed during a riot. This led to the interruption of the parade, which did not take place the next year. 1969 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ...

The Fête nationale

In 1977, a ministerial decree of the government of René Lévesque made June 24 the national holiday of Quebec. The following year, the Comité organisateur de la fête nationale was created. The committee initially entrusted the organization of the events to the St-Jean-Baptiste Society of Montréal. In 1984, the organization was entrusted to the Mouvement national des Québécoises et des Québécois. 1977 was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1977 calendar). ... René Lévesque. ... 1984 is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Saint-Jean-Baptiste day thus became the day of all Quebecers rather than only those of French-Canadian origins (approx. 74 per cent of Quebecers). Mainly by the actions of the St-Jean-Baptiste Society and the Mouvement national des Québécoises et des Québécois, the celebrations were gradually secularized and June 23 and 24 became what they are nowadays.

Today, the Fête nationale is a popular cultural festival celebrating the achievements and diversity of Quebecers. It is still a tradition to light fires at night.

External links

• Official Website of the Fête nationale (http://www.fetenationale.qc.ca/)
• National Holiday Act (http://www.canlii.org/qc/laws/sta/f-1.1/20040802/whole.html)