Happy Victoria Day!
Or, as I knew it growing up, Firecracker Day.
It was some years before I learned it was actually a celebration of Queen Victoria’s birthday.
The long weekend in May marked the unofficial start to summer.
There were also the firecrackers secretly purchased by the boys and lots of popping and crackling in the back lane that weekend as they set off their treasure trove.
Whatever the daytime activities, Monday night was for fireworks. Every year we would buy a fireworks package. As it grew dark, we’d usually gather with two or three other families to set off the much awaited fireworks. Lawn chairs were set up, the combined fireworks were sorted by size, a safe perimeter established, and the Dads would start the show, setting off a low-tech fireworks display that delighted us as much as any modern pyrotechnic display ever could. As the last rocket faded in the sky, each child was given a sparkler and we’d delight in writing in the air in sparkling fire.
May your long weekend be filled with such joy.
Happy unofficial start of summer!
