Easter Monday in Canada

Easter Monday in Canada is a time for Christians to reflect on Jesus Christ's crucifixion, death and resurrection. ©iStockphoto.com/tiburonstudios

What do people do?

A proportion of Canadians have a day off work on Easter Monday and for some it is the end of a four-day weekend. People who have been on a short vacation or who have visited family or friends often travel home on Easter Monday. For others, it is a chance to eat their easter eggs, relax and, depending on the weather and when Easter falls, enjoy some time outdoors.

Public life

In Quebec, Easter Monday is a statutory holiday. Schools, post offices and most other stores businesses and organizations are closed. Public transport services may run to reduced timetables. In rural areas, there may be no public transport services.

In the other provinces and territories of Canada, Easter Monday is not a statutory holiday. However, many government agencies are closed and their employees have a day off work in lieu of Easter Sunday. Schools and post offices are also closed. Other businesses and organizations may be open or closed. Public transport services may run to their normal or reduced timetables.

Background

Easter Monday is a holiday in many English speaking countries, including England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Australia, and European counties. The tradition of having a holiday on the day after Easter Sunday was brought to Canada by European immigrants. In some parts of Europe, such as Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic, there are particular traditions connected with Easter Monday.

Symbols

Eggs of all types are an important symbol of Easter. They represent the rebirth of nature in the spring and the promise of new life in the spring and summer months to come and are seen as a reflection of the resurrection of Christ after his crucifixion. Easter eggs, whether they are made of chocolate or candy or are decorated hens eggs, are common gifts all over the world during Easter. However, the biggest Easter egg in the world is a representation of a Ukranian Easter egg, known as a Pysanka, located in Vegreville, Alberta.

The Pysanka in Vegreville was constructed in 1974 to mark the centenary of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and to celebrate Vegreville's strong links with the Ukraine. It is made of more than 2000 aluminium triangles fixed together with nearly 7000 bolts and 177 internal struts. The egg is more than 25 feet (nearly eight meters) in diameter and is decorated with a gold, silver and bronze design. Its construction represented significant advances in computer modeling, mathematical theory, architectural design and engineering construction.

Easter Monday Observances

Related holidays

• Good Friday–Friday, March 21, 2008
• Easter Sunday–Sunday, March 23, 2008

Other holidays in March 2008 in Canada

• Daylight Saving Time starts (Sunday, March 9, 2008)
• Commonwealth Day (Monday, March 10, 2008)
• Palm Sunday (Sunday, March 16, 2008)
• St. Patrick's Day (Monday, March 17, 2008)
• St. Patrick's Day (Monday, March 17, 2008)
• Maundy Thursday (Thursday, March 20, 2008)
• Vernal equinox (Thursday, March 20, 2008)
• Prophet's Birthday (Thursday, March 20, 2008)
• Purim (Friday, March 21, 2008)
• Good Friday (Friday, March 21, 2008)
• Holy Saturday (Saturday, March 22, 2008)
• Easter Sunday (Sunday, March 23, 2008)

Other calendars

• Perpetual yearly calendar - make yearly calendar for any year
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