What is New Brunswick Day?
New Brunswick Day 2022 is a holiday in the Canadian province of New Brunswick on the first Monday of August. It is a chance for people to strengthen their local communities by celebrating their achievements, history, culture, and landscape. Many towns hold “birthday” parties for the province.
The area that is now the province of New Brunswick has been populated by First Nations communities for around 6000 years. In the 1600s and 1700s, the area was colonized by the French and later the British. In 1867, New Brunswick formed the Canadian Confederation along with Nova Scotia and the province of Canada. New Brunswick Day has been a holiday since 1976 and the New Brunswick Day awards were introduced in 1991.
Some provincial symbols that may be seen on New Brunswick Day include:
- The coat of arms contains similar elements to the New Brunswick flag.
- The purple violet (a flower).
- The black-capped chickadee (a small bird).
- The balsam fir (a tree).
- The New Brunswick tartan.
The New Brunswick flag is raised in some communities on the day. This flag is rectangular and consists of two parts. The top third of the flag is a gold lion on a red field, which represents the province’s links with the Braunschweig (Brunswick) region in central Germany and the monarch of the United Kingdom. The lower part of the flag consists of a Spanish galley and represents shipbuilding, which was an important industry in the province.
Public Life
New Brunswick Day is a statutory holiday in the province of New Brunswick and many people have a day off work. Post offices, schools, and many other organizations and businesses are closed, but stores may be open depending on local customs. Public transport services may be reduced or not run at all.
