Photo by Ryunosuke Kikuno on Unsplash

By: Parniya Bayat Mokhtari

This Monday, students and workers across Canada took the day off to commemorate Family Day. The day is set aside for Canadians to honor their families and spend quality time with their loved ones. Most individuals spend Family Day engaging in a variety of activities with their families, such as dining together, participating in group activities, or visiting loved ones. Family Day is now celebrated in five Canadian provinces, including Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, and New Brunswick, and it was initially established in Alberta.

The history of family day travels back to 1990, when the premier of Alberta, Don Getty, was faced with backlash after his son was arrested for dealing drugs. Getty utilized the event to draw attention to what he saw as a decline of family values in Canadian society. Using this idea, he introduced Family Day as an opportunity to rebuild family values.Family Day was intended to reflect the values that were essential to Alberta pioneers while also providing citizens with an opportunity to spend time with their family. Family day was soon introduced to other provinces, with the latest addition being New Brunswick in 2018. 

Variations of Family Day are celebrated around the world. For example, in Australia, the first Tuesday in November is known as Family and Community Day. Throughout all countries, The importance of spending time with family has remained consistent. We hope you were all able to reflect on your family values and relationships this Family Day, and we are grateful for our St. Augustine family!

Work Cited

“Family Day 2024 in Canada.” Time and Date, https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/canada/family-day. Accessed 20 February 2024.