About Commonwealth Day
| How long until Commonwealth Day? | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Commonwealth Day . | |||
| Dates of Commonwealth Day | |||
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2023 Various Mar 14
BotswanaTue, Mar 14Observances Holiday
United KingdomTue, Mar 14Observances Holiday
2022 Various Mar 14
BotswanaMon, Mar 14Observances Holiday
United KingdomMon, Mar 14Observances Holiday
2021 Various Mar 8
BotswanaMon, Mar 8Observances Holiday
United KingdomMon, Mar 8Observances Holiday
2020 Various Mar 9
BotswanaMon, Mar 9Observances Holiday
United KingdomMon, Mar 9Observances Holiday
2019 Various Mar 11
BotswanaMon, Mar 11Observances Holiday
United KingdomMon, Mar 11Observances Holiday
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| Summary | |||
| Commonwealth Day is a holiday that celebrates the British Commonwealth. It is observed on the second Monday in March. | |||
| Where is Commonwealth Day observed in 2023? | |||
|
BotswanaMar 14
United KingdomMar 14
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When is Commonwealth Day?
Commonwealth Day is a moveable holiday celebrating the British Commonwealth.
Commonwealth Day is celebrated on the second Monday in March. Only two (Gibraltar and Turks and Caicos Islands) of the 53 member countries celebrate Commonwealth Day as a national holiday.
History of Commonwealth Day
At the end of the nineteenth century, when the British Empire was arguably at its peak, Empire Day was established in Canada. The holiday was held on the last school day before Queen Victoria's birthday, May 24th.
Following the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, the holiday grew in popularity across the empire. The horrors of the First World War changed how the holiday should be celebrated, with it becoming more a day of remembrance.
With the surge for independence from the empire in the late 1950s, the British prime minister Harold MacMillan announced that Empire Day would be changed to Commonwealth Day. In 1976, the date of the holiday was switched to the Second Monday in March. This date was chosen as no Commonwealth country had a public holiday on that day and almost all countries had school terms.
The Commonwealth was founded on December 11th 1931.
Did you know?
In Canada, Empire Day became Victoria Day and remains a public holiday celebrated on the Monday before May 25th.
The day is marked by a Commonwealth Service held at Westminster Abbey in London.
Every year a specific theme is chosen for Commonwealth Day. The 2020 theme is 'Delivering a Common Future: Connecting, Innovating, Transforming'.
As the Commonwealth Charter, explains "This theme was chosen because the governments and people of our diverse family of 53 Commonwealth countries connect at many levels through extensive and deep-rooted networks of friendship and goodwill.".
