Natal Day is a non-statutory holiday in Nova Scotia, Canada,[1] celebrated on the first Monday in August.[2] It coincides with other Civic Holidays across Canada.
| Natal Day | |
| Label1: | Date 2024 |
| Data1: | Monday, August 5th, 2024 |
| Label2: | Date 2025 |
| Data2: | Monday, August 4th, 2025 |
| Label3: | Website |
| Data3: | https://www.natalday.org |
Natal Day was originally celebrated on June 21, to commemorate the establishment of Halifax.
The tradition may have been created by the Nova Scotia Philanthropic Society who inaugurated an annual picnic in 1839 to celebrate the founding of Halifax.[3] [4]
Historical celebrations included; pig, sheep, and ox roasts, horse races, regattas, track and field event (hurdles, high jump, foot races etc.), greasy pig contests, and greasy pole contests among others. Public drunkenness was a frequent issue with reports on Natal Day of 1894 of civilians sneaking beer from the military canteen which ultimately led to a drunken brawl between civilians and soldiers.[5] In 1876 reports from McNab's Island picnic reported "there was not much enjoyment there... for drunkenness and fighting prevailed generally, and there were many bruised faces and black eyes" and a new word 'jubilated' was coined to refer to the drunk and disorderly - with those completely unable to celebrate due to drunkeness being referred to as jubilous.[6]
The first official Natal Day celebrations were held in August 1895 to mark the arrival of the new branch railroad line connecting to Dartmouth. While the rail construction was delayed, Dartmouth moved forward with a regatta and fireworks display.[7]
In 1897, Natal Day celebrations corresponded with Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. During the week long celebration which fell over June 21, the 'Jubilee' or 'Nymph' Fountain was unveiled in the Halifax Public Gardens by Ishbel, Marchioness of Aberdeen and Temair, the wife of John Campbell Gordon, 7th Earl of Aberdeen and Governor-General of Canada (1893-98).[8]
The name Natal Day gained popularity in 1899 with the publication of Centenary Ode, by Halifax poet laureate John A. Bell on the 150th anniversary of the founding of Halifax.[9]
By 1906, Halifax declared a half-holiday on the same day as Dartmouth’s Natal Day, solidifying the tradition of an August celebration.[10]
Natal Day weekend is marked by events across Nova Scotia including parades, picnics, concerts, local markets, street performers, fireworks, and a local road race.[11]
The National historic site Fort Anne in Annapolis Royal hosts encampment reenactments of 18th century British military camps over Natal Day weekend as well as a historic parade.[12]
Since 1907, Dartmouth has hosted the Dartmouth Natal Day Road Race making it one of the oldest road running races in North America.[13] The event was added to celebrate Dartmouthian Chris Wolfe running the Boston Marathon.[14]
Natal Day's status as a non-statutory holiday or retail closing day is the source of some controversy. While the Civic Holiday is recognized as a statutory holiday by government offices, many unionized employers and several other provinces (including British Columbia, New Brunswick, Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Saskatchewan) - it is not a mandated or paid holiday in Nova Scotia. City services are often reduced and employers may opt to close without paying employees, in addition, employees who are scheduled to work do not have the right to refuse. Nova Scotia ties P.E.I. and Newfoundland & Labrador for the lowest number of public holidays in Canada with six.
In 1931 a statue of Edward Cornwallis was unveiled in downtown Halifax over Natal Day weekend to commemorate the 182nd anniversary of the founding of Halifax.[15] In July 2017, protests surrounding the removal of the statue - due to Cornwallis' treatment of indigenous people, the 1749 scalp proclamation, and it's general homage to colonial history - demanded the city remove the statue by Natal Day.[16] While city officials, including mayor Mike Savage, initially disagreed, the statue was subsequently removed and place in temporary storage in January 2018 in consultation with local First Nations after threats were made to tear the statue down during an upcoming planned protest.[17]
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