Commonwealth Observance

Commonwealth Day (formerly Empire Day) is the annual celebration of the Commonwealth of Nations, since 1977 often held on the second Monday in March. It is marked by an Anglican service in Westminster Abbey, normally attended by the monarch as Head of the Commonwealth along with the Commonwealth Secretary-General and Commonwealth High Commissioners in London. The King delivers a broadcast address to the Commonwealth.

While it has a certain official status, Commonwealth Day is not a public holiday in most Commonwealth countries, and there is little public awareness of it. It is marked as a holiday in Gibraltar, but not in March.

History

The idea of a day that would "remind children that they formed part of the British Empire" was conceived in 1897. In 1898, Canadian Clementina Trenholme introduced an Empire Day to Ontario schools, on the last school day before 24 May, Queen Victoria's birthday. Empire Day or Victoria Day was celebrated in the Cape Colony before the Second Boer War and thereafter throughout the Union of South Africa.

Empire Day was introduced in the UK in 1904 by Reginald Brabazon, 12th Earl of Meath, 'to nurture a sense of collective identity and imperial responsibility among young empire citizens'. In schools, morning lessons were devoted to "exercises calculated to remind (the children) of their mighty heritage". The centrepiece of the day was an organised and ritualistic veneration of the Union flag. Then, schoolchildren were given the afternoon off, and further events were usually held in their local community. Empire Day became more of a sombre commemoration in the aftermath of World War I, and politically partisan as the Labour Party passed a resolution in 1926 to prevent the further celebration of Empire Day.

After the death of Queen Victoria on 22 January 1901, her birthday, 24 May, was celebrated from 1902 as ''Empire Day'', though not officially recognised as an annual event until 1916.
In 1925, 90,000 people attended an Empire Day thanksgiving service held at Wembley Stadium as part of the British Empire Exhibition. The British Empire League promoted Empire Day as a patriotic holiday. Empire Day traversed class boundaries, and after the First World War, the jingoism was toned down in favour of sombre commemoration in the festival.

After World War II, the event fell into rapid decline, and Prime Minister Harold Macmillan bowed to the inevitable on 18 December 1958, when he announced in Parliament that the name of Empire Day would be changed forthwith to Commonwealth Day.

The Commonwealth and Britain have a shared history, cultural links, common legal systems and business practices. Following a 1973 proposal by the Royal Commonwealth Society, the Commonwealth Secretariat selected the second Monday in March as the date on which Commonwealth Day is observed.

Observance

There is not a uniform observance of the day worldwide.

United Kingdom

The Union Flag is flown from UK public buildings on the second Monday in March to mark Commonwealth Day. In addition, the Scottish Parliament Building flies the Commonwealth flag. The King and other members of the Royal family attend a special inter-denominational service at Westminster Abbey, followed by a reception hosted by the Commonwealth Secretary-General. A wreath is laid at the Commonwealth Memorial Gates in London to remember the sacrifices of Commonwealth soldiers by the Commonwealth Secretary General.
- A number of other events, such as the Commonwealth Africa Summit, also take place around the United Kingdom.

Australia

Commonwealth Day is not observed as a public holiday in Australia and many other places. Several regional public holidays coincide with this day: Canberra Day in the Australian Capital Territory, Labour Day in Victoria, Adelaide Cup Day in South Australia, and Eight-hour Day in Tasmania. In 2006, Queen Elizabeth II delivered her Commonwealth Day address from St. Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; this formed part of the lead-up to the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

Canada

In Canada, the only official recognition is a federal government stipulation that the Royal Union Flag be flown alongside Canada's flag at government installations nationwide, "where physical arrangements allow... Physical arrangements means the existence of at least two flag poles". The 1964 parliamentary resolutions creating the Maple Leaf flag also retained the Union Flag as an official symbol of Canada's membership in the Commonwealth, and allegiance to the Crown.

The original Empire Day (''Fête de l'Empire'') date in May continues to be observed in Canada as Victoria Day.

Gibraltar

Commonwealth Day is a public holiday in Gibraltar, previously held in March. As of 2022, it is celebrated in February instead of March.

Other Commonwealth countries

In Belize and The Bahamas, Commonwealth Day is marked in schools with special programmes and assemblies involving flag-raising ceremonies; the Queen's Commonwealth Day message is often read at such events. In Belize, Commonwealth Day is still celebrated on 24 May.

Before 1997, Commonwealth Day was a school holiday in Hong Kong.

Commonwealth Day themes

See also

* Commonwealth of Nations membership criteria
* Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan
* Empire Air Day
* Royal Commonwealth Society
* Territorial evolution of the British Empire

References

External links

*

Commonwealth Day

C. 1917 Pathé News view of Empire Day

1919 Pathé News views of Empire Day

1920s view of Empire Day

1922 Pathé News view of Empire Day

British Movietone News 1930 view of Empire Day

1931 Pathé News view of Empire Day

1933 Pathé News view of Empire Day

1934 Pathé News view of Empire Day

HM King George VI: Empire Day Address, 24 May 1940

The Queen's Commonwealth Day Message 2011

2017 Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey

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Public holidays in the United Kingdom
March observances
Holidays and observances by scheduling (nth weekday of the month)
Day
International observances
International organization days
1898 introductions
Public holidays in Canada
Public holidays in the Bahamas
British flag flying days