| Commonwealth Day | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Flags of member states of theCommonwealth of Nations flying atParliament Square in London on Commonwealth Day, 2009 | |
| Observed by | Commonwealth of Nations |
| Date | Second Monday in March |
| 2024 date | March 11 (2024-03-11) |
| 2025 date | March 10 (2025-03-10) |
| 2026 date | March 9 (2026-03-09) |
| 2027 date | March 8 (2027-03-08) |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Related to | Victoria Day/Sovereign's Day[note 1] |
Commonwealth Day is the annual celebration of theCommonwealth of Nations, held on the second Monday in March. While the date holds some official status in selectmember states of the Commonwealth, observances of the date are not uniform, and the date is not celebrated as apublic holiday in most Commonwealth countries.[note 2]
The event traces its origins toEmpire Day, an event initially conceived to celebrate theBritish Empire. It was originally observed onQueen Victoria's birthday (24 May) or the last weekday before it. In the latter half of the 20th century, the celebration's focus shifted towards emphasising the modern Commonwealth of Nations, and the event was renamed Commonwealth Day in 1958; its date was moved to the second Monday in March in 1977.
Commonwealth Day is typically marked by a Commonwealth Day message made by theHead of the Commonwealth, as well as additional statements from theCommonwealth Secretary-General. Inter-denominational observances are also held in cities across the Commonwealth, including one led by the Head of the Commonwealth atWestminster Abbey in London and attended by the Commonwealth Secretary-General.
Flag-raising ceremonies for theflag of the Commonwealth of Nations are also held in Commonwealth countries. The flags of Commonwealth member states are flown at select locations in the United Kingdom, while theRoyal Union Flag is flown at federal installations in Canada.
The idea of observing one day each year as a public holiday throughout theBritish Empire was first suggested in 1894 and 1895 by Thomas Robinson, the honorary secretary for theRoyal Colonial Institute based inWinnipeg. Taking up Robinson's suggestion, the Royal Colonial Institute's London council petitionedQueen Victoria in July 1894, arguing that while other nations had annual national celebrations, the British Empire lacked one. They proposed designating the Queen's birthday for this purpose. In a reply theBritish prime minister,Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery, stated that it was a matter not for the government but for the community and pointed out that government departments already observed the Queen's birthday as a holiday.[1][2] However, the idea quickly gained support from organisations such as theBritish Empire League in the 1890s.[3][4]
The idea to hold an "Empire Day" as a day that would "remind children that they formed part of theBritish Empire" also gained support among educations during the 1890s.[4] Championed byClementina Trenholme, Empire Day was first observed inOntario schools in 1898 and scheduled for the last school day before May 24, Queen Victoria's birthday.[1][2] By the end of the 19th century, Empire Day was also celebrated inCape Colony before theSecond Boer War and thereafter throughout theUnion of South Africa.[1][2][5] Empire Day was introduced in the United Kingdom in 1904 byReginald Brabazon, 12th Earl of Meath, "to nurture a sense of collective identity and imperial responsibility among young empire citizens".[6]
After thedeath of Queen Victoria on 22 January 1901, her birthday, 24 May, was celebrated from 1902 asEmpire Day, though not officially recognised as an annual event until 1916.[4][7][deprecated source?] In schools, morning lessons were devoted to "exercises calculated to remind (the children) of their mighty heritage".[8] The centrepiece of the day was an organised and ritualistic veneration of the Union flag. Schoolchildren were given the afternoon off, and further events were usually held in their local community.[9]
After theFirst World War, thejingoism was toned down in favour of sombrecommemoration in the festival.[9] In 1925, 90,000 people attended an Empire Day thanksgiving service held atWembley Stadium as part of theBritish Empire Exhibition.[10] However, Empire Day became more of a sombre commemoration in the aftermath of the First World War, and politically partisan in the United Kingdom as theLabour Party passed a resolution in 1926 to prevent the further celebration of Empire Day.[9]
The Conservative party and other groups adopted Empire Day as a vehicle for anti-socialist propaganda, whilst the communist party exploited it as an opportunity to attack British imperialism. Other protests came from local Labour groups and pacifist dissenters. The overt politicization of Empire Day severely disrupted its hegemonic function and the political battles fought over the form and purpose of the celebrations made it difficult to uphold the notion that the festival was merely a benign tribute to a legitimate and natural state of affairs.
Along with official condemnation from the Labour Party, left-wing youth organisations such as theYoung Communist League[11] and theWoodcraft Folk[12] organised protests against Empire Day celebrations in schools from 1927 through to the early 1930s.
After theSecond World War the event fell into rapid decline. On 18 December 1958 the British prime minister,Harold Macmillan, announced in theHouse of Commons that Empire Day would be renamed Commonwealth Day.[9][13]
In 1973 the National Council in Canada of theRoyal Commonwealth Society submitted a proposal to theCanadian prime minister,Pierre Elliot Trudeau, that Commonwealth Day should be observed simultaneously throughout the Commonwealth of Nations. The proposal was included in the Canadian items for inclusion in the agenda for the1975 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. After the meeting, it was agreed that theCommonwealth Secretariat would select a date with no historical connotations so that the entire Commonwealth could use it as a date to celebrate Commonwealth Day. At a meeting inCanberra in May 1976, senior Commonwealth officials agreed on a new fixed date for Commonwealth Day, the second Monday in March.[14] The second Monday of March was selected by Commonwealth leaders as it was a day when most schools would be in session, facilitating student participation in several Commonwealth-related activities, including mini-Commonwealth Games, simulatedCommonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, and studies and celebrations on the geography, ecology, products or societies of other Commonwealth countries.[15]
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Commonwealth Day is held on the second Monday in March.[16][17] However, there is not a uniform observance of the day worldwide.[14]
On the day, theHead of the Commonwealth broadcasts a message throughout the entire Commonwealth of Nations. The broadcast is addressed to the people of the Commonwealth, and not to specific governments. Past Commonwealth Day messages by QueenElizabeth II are themed after an issue of importance to the Commonwealth which she thinks people can have an impact on. In somemember states of the Commonwealth, the message is sometimes augmented by an address from a member country's president, prime minister, or another senior minister. TheCommonwealth Secretary-General also issues a statement on the day, which is read on the radio or published in some Commonwealth countries.[15]
Several cities throughout the Commonwealth host multi-cultural and inter-denominational services to mark the day.[18][19] Flag-raising ceremonies for theflag of the Commonwealth of Nations are also held in several Commonwealth countries.[20]
On Commonwealth Day, flags of the member states of the Commonwealth of Nations are flown inParliament Square and atMarlborough House.[15] Theflag of the United Kingdom is flown from UK public buildings on the second Monday in March to mark Commonwealth Day.[21] Flag flying guidelines for theScottish Government and its related agencies also advises the flying of the flags of the Commonwealth of Nations andScotland on the date, only if the building has two or more flagpoles.[22]
In London an inter-denominational service is led by the Head of the Commonwealth atWestminster Abbey. During the service, representatives of Commonwealth countries offer the flags of member states for blessing.[15][23] A reception hosted by the Commonwealth Secretary-General is held after the service.[24] A wreath-laying ceremony to commemorate the sacrifice of Commonwealth soldiers at London'sCommonwealth Memorial Gates is attended by the Commonwealth Secretary-General, and is held before the service at Westminster Abbey.[20][25]
Several other events, such as the Commonwealth Africa Summit, also take place around the United Kingdom on Commonwealth Day.[26]
Commonwealth Day was formerly celebrated as a public holiday in severalBritish Overseas Territories. The day was observed as a school holiday inBritish Hong Kong before thehandover of the territory from the United Kingdom to China in 1997.[27] The date was also formerly observed as a public holiday inGibraltar.[28] In 2021 the holiday was moved to February instead of March.[29] In 2022, Commonwealth Day was no longer listed as a public holiday in Gibraltar, with the February public holiday replaced by the Winter Midterm Bank Holiday.[30] Although the event is no longer a public holiday, theGovernment of Gibraltar continues to mark Commonwealth Day through various events.[31]
Commonwealth Day is observed by Australian state governors and thegovernor-general.[32][33][34] The Commonwealth Day Council of New South Wales holds an annual lunch in the presence of its patron, thegovernor, atParliament House, Sydney.[35][36]
In the Bahamas, Commonwealth Dayschool assemblies involving flag-raising ceremonies are held.[27]
In Belize, Commonwealth Day was also known as Sovereign's Day and was formerly celebrated as a public holiday in May. The holiday was originally celebrated in honour of Queen Victoria's birthday, although it was later set aside to recognise and celebrate the importance of being part of the Commonwealth of Nations.[37] In 2021, Sovereign's Day was removed from the government's official list of public and bank holidays.[38]
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In Canadathe federal government directs that theRoyal Union Flag is to be flown alongside theflag of Canada at federal installations nationwide where at least two flag poles are present.[39] The requirement to fly the Royal Union Flag on certain days, including Commonwealth Day, stems from a 1964 parliamentary resolution following the adoption of flag of Canada, which retained the Royal Union Flag as an official symbol of the country's Commonwealth membership and allegiance to the Crown.[39][40]
From 1898 to 1976, Empire Day/Commonwealth Day was observed on an ad hoc basis in conjunction withVictoria Day, a federal statutory holiday in May that also serves as thesovereign's official birthday in Canada.[14][41] Empire Day/Commonwealth Day was held on the weekday before Victoria Day and was not intended to be a general holiday in itself, but a day to provide schools and civic institutions the opportunity to implement activities and lessons on Canada and the British Empire.[41] In 1977, Commonwealth Day was moved to the second Monday in March, in line with the rest of the Commonwealth of Nations.[14]
Commonwealth Day is observed as apublic holiday in Tuvalu, as legislated in the country'sPublic Holidays Act.[42]
| Year | Theme[43] |
|---|---|
| 1995 | Our Commonwealth Neighbourhood – Working Together for Tolerance and Understanding |
| 1996 | Our Working Partnership |
| 1997 | Talking to One Another |
| 1998 | Sport Brings Us Together |
| 1999 | Music |
| 2000 | Sharing Knowledge – The Communications Challenge |
| 2001 | A New Generation |
| 2002 | Diversity |
| 2003 | Partners in Development |
| 2004 | Building a Commonwealth of Freedom |
| 2005 | Education – Creating Opportunity, Realising Potential |
| 2006 | Health and Vitality |
| 2007 | Respecting Difference, Promoting Understanding |
| 2008 | The Environment, Our Future |
| 2009 | Commonwealth@60 – Serving a New Generation |
| 2010 | Science, Technology and Society |
| 2011 | Women as Agents of Change |
| 2012 | Connecting Cultures |
| 2013 | Opportunity through Enterprise |
| 2014 | Team Commonwealth |
| 2015 | A Young Commonwealth |
| 2016 | An Inclusive Commonwealth |
| 2017 | A Peace-building Commonwealth |
| 2018 | Towards A Common Future |
| 2019 | A Connected Commonwealth |
| 2020 | Delivering a Common Future |
| 2021 | Delivering a Common Future |
| 2022 | Delivering a Common Future: Connecting, Innovating, Transforming |
| 2023 | Forging a Sustainable and Peaceful Common Future |
| 2024 | One Resilient Common Future: Transforming our Common Wealth |
| 2025 | Together We Thrive |
