As another Family Day nears celebration let us share some background of this momentous holiday.
It is celebrated on the Third Monday in February! But it is not a Federal Statutory Holiday, which means that Federal Government Employees do not get this day off.
Only some provinces in Canada celebrate Family Day: Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and New Brunswick. Other provinces also have a statutory holiday on the same day, but it is not named Family Day!
This day which marks the celebration of the home and family and was first celebrated in 1990 in Alberta! In 2007 Saskatchewan began observing Family Day as well, joining Alberta which was previously the only province to have a Stat Holiday in February.
The third Monday of the month, was proclaimed a holiday by Don Getty, and the Lieutenant Governor Helen Hunley, as a way for Albertans to spend time with their families, and celebrate the importance of family values.
Bob Giffin, Getty’s former executive director, also notes that Family Day came out of the Getty’s own attitude towards families.
“He is quite the family guy,” Giffin says. “He believes very strongly in the family unit. At that time of year, in the wintertime, there wasn’t much of a break between Christmas and Easter and he thought it was a way to keep the family unit together. It brings attention to the family.”
- Alex Frazer-Harrison, Calgary Herald
Happy Family Day Everyone!