St. Jean Baptiste day

[Guest Peeves]

I say no, unless we have a Prime Minister's Day like the USA's President's day.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/06/12/make-st-jean-baptiste-day-a-national-holiday-ndp-mp/

Edited June 13, 2012 by Peeves

[Anti-Am]

The more national holidays the better.

[g_bambino]

I say no, unless we have a Prime Minister's Day like the USA's President's day.

How would the existence of a "Prime Ministers Day" (a horrible idea in itself) make a nationally recognised Ste. Jean Baptiste Day more acceptable?

Regardless, to the proposal, I say: no. It would be hopeless trying to force a culturally specific event on a wider populace that feels no connection to the celebration. What federal holiday is Anglo-specific, let alone, say, Anglo-Manitoban-specific?

[bleeding heart]

How would the existence of a "Prime Ministers Day" (a horrible idea in itself) make a nationally recognised Ste. Jean Baptiste Day more acceptable?

Regardless, to the proposal, I say: no. It would be hopeless trying to force a culturally specific event on a wider populace that feels no connection to the celebration. What federal holiday is Anglo-specific, let alone, say, Anglo-Manitoban-specific?

Victoria Day.

Hell, it's too Anglo even for the British!

Edited June 13, 2012 by bleeding heart

[Argus]

The more national holidays the better.

St. Jean Baptiste day is basically a day to celebrate the idea of separatism for Quebec.

I know I'm all for that!

[g_bambino]

Victoria Day.

It wasn't an Ango-specific event when it was established. It isn't even now one, despite what the Quebec souveraintistes would have you believe. Victoria was queen of all of Canada from Confederation to 1901 and both Anglophone and Francophone delegates at the confrences leading up to Confederation decided to keep Canada a constitutional monarchy under the reign of Victoria and her heirs and successors. In Canada, John the Baptist is the patron saint of Québécois, only.

Further, making Ste. Jean Baptiste Day a Canadian national holiday would do nothing to affect the fact that 24 June is still established in Quebec, separately, as The National Holiday of Quebec, which likely means more to the separatists than does the religious feast of John the Baptist on the same date.

[ed.: sp]

Edited June 13, 2012 by g_bambino

[capricorn]

Actually, St. Jean Baptiste is the patron saint of all French Canadians. Of course, in Canada June 24 is primarily celebrated in Quebec.

While the orgin of the holiday in France was the pagan celebration of the summer soltice; a celebration of light and a symbol of hope. In the reign of the French King Clovis, the annual event was christianized and became a religious celebration of the birth of John the Baptist, who is known as the Precursor of Christ, the light of the world � thus the link with the soltice and the bonfires.�

The festival of Jean Baptiste had particular importance for all the Catholics of Europe, especially those of France. The King of France would light the bonfire in the nights of June 23 and 24 in Paris.

Once in America, the French continued to celebrate this event, but it was then a very pious, religious festival with processions in the streets of Quebec City.

St-Jean Baptiste came to be know as the patron saint of French Canadians as a result of centuries of recognition of the influence he had on New France as new colony was developing from the time of early colonization.

--

Many other French-speaking villages in other provinces celebrate St-Jean-Baptiste Day and several of them have churches named for the patron saint.

http://www.genealogyforum.rootsweb.com/gfaol/resource/Canada/StJean.htm

From the archives of Radio Canada.

La fête de la Saint-Jean-Baptiste tire son origine de l'époque de Clovis, roi des Francs (481-511). La tradition se perpétue et, dans la nuit du 23 au 24 juin, le roi de France a coutume d'allumer les feux de la Saint-Jean. Fête religieuse inscrite dans la tradition catholique, la Saint-Jean célèbre la naissance de Jean le Baptiste, le cousin de Jésus-Christ. En Amérique du Nord, les Canadiens francophones continuent de perpétuer la tradition ponctuée de défilés dans les rues. Comme le rapporte le Journal des Jésuites, la célébration de la Saint-Jean sur les bords du Saint-Laurent date de 1636.

http://archives.radio-canada.ca/societe/celebrations/clips/8152/

Also, that link contains a video of a St. Jean Baptiste parade circa Montreal 1969, with commentary.

The Radio Canada links are only available en Francais.

[g_bambino]

Actually, St. Jean Baptiste is the patron saint of all French Canadians.

Interesting. But, that takes me back to my point about Anglophone-Canadian-specific events: I don't know of any that are the basis of a federal holiday. Would we even want one, given that it would be inherently divisive?