Victoria Day
- noun
- Canadian
:
Día de Victoria
- Many Canadians look forward to Victoria Day as the unofficial start of summer.
Examples
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On Victoria Day, families often gather for barbecues and outdoor activities.
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In addition, shareholders were angry that the deal was closed on May 25, 1930, a Sunday and the day after Victoria Day, evidence they thought that the parties involved acknowledged neither the national holiday nor the Sunday closing laws to which Toronto strictly adhered.
Academic text (2006) -
The parade celebrating Victoria Day featured colorful floats and lively music.
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is directly compositional: 'Victoria' (the monarch) + 'day' (a commemorative day), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a day honoring Victoria. They may not predict the specific national (Canadian) scope or exact date, but the core meaning as a day for Victoria is transparent and follows a common naming pattern for holidays.
Etymology
Victoria Day comes from celebrating Queen Victoria's 'birthday'. People started celebrating the queen in May with parades and fireworks, so today Victoria Day is a Canadian public holiday in May that many use to start the summer.
