These bank holidays for 2016 are celebrated in Canada and they are legal holidays during which all private workers, public employees and other employees, are able to enjoy day without having to work.



Not only do they get the day off, but they don’t get docked for the holiday as well. These are days that people don’t have to work at territorial, provincial or even federal levels.

Besides these holidays there are plenty of holidays that are celebrated as bank holidays on the territorial and provincial levels along with religious holidays, which can be taken off for those who are a follower of that religion.

Here is the complete and full list of Bank holidays that are celebrated in Canada.

  • New Years Day – This holiday has been celebrated on the 1st day of January since 153 BCE and it is thought to be the start of an entire new year. Canada, just like all of the other countries in the world, greet the New Year with plenty of pomp. There is plenty of the usual partying and also some great fireworks shows that are put on for the citizens. This is extremely popular in Toronto and the fireworks are shot off with music in the background and some public performances. Also, in Quebec and other areas, ice fishing is a traditional activity that is participated in on this day since the country has sufficient cold weather and iced over lakes and rivers.

  • Day after New Year’s Day – This day is just after New Year’s day and it is the official end of the festive season that starts with Christmas and ends with New Year. The 2nd day is January is often the time when people spend with family and is a day for relaxing and spending time with friends and family before they go back to work. This is also the day that most people arrive back home if they have taken a vacation during the long holiday. This is also the day that the Royal Bank of Canada had taken over the Quebec Bank.

  • Family Day – This holiday is celebrated in British Columbia and it is held on the 2nd Monday of February every year. This holiday was determined by an online poll that the provincial government had held and this holiday has been held on the same day since 2013.

  • Family Day – This holiday is celebrated on the 3rd Monday of February and is celebrated in most parts of the country, except British Colombia. On this day the people will uphold the family institution and celebrate the bonds that are created between various family members. This is becoming a more and more popular holiday as the time passes and the social scenario has changed, which means it important to have the family bonds firmly rooted among the citizens.

  • Good Friday – This holiday is the Friday before Easter and on this day the Christians in the country celebrate the crucifixion of their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This is also an opportunity for everyone to take a day off of work and be able to enjoy spring after the long harsh winter. Also, on this day most of the people will have some hot cross buns, which are full of nuts, fruits and raisins and topped with a cross.

  • Easter Monday – This holiday falls on the Monday right after Easter, which is the day when Canada, along with all of the other countries in the world follow some of the routine traditions of the Christian religion. People are able to enjoy a lengthy weekend while they celebrate Jesus Christ’s resurrection. This is the time when people visit with family and friends and enjoy the treats that they have been given, including Easter Eggs.

  • Mother’s Day – This holiday is always on the 2nd Sunday in June every year and it is day that people use to show their respect and love towards their mother and everyone else that they see as a Mother figure in their lives. On this day, most people spend it with their moms and it is a tradition to give mothers a bouquet of flowers, especially carnations.

  • Victoria Day – This day is always celebrated in the country on the Monday that precedes May 25th and it is also called May Two-Four, May long weekend or May Long. This is the day they they celebrate as the birthday of Queen Victoria, who is the 2nd longest reigning monarch of Great Britain. This date was later adjusted and the day is observed with plenty of parades along with fireworks shows.

  • National Patriots’ Day – This day is always celebrated on the Monday before may 25th and is celebrated on the same day along with Victoria Day. This is the day when the rebellion had been started back in 1837. There are huge events that are organized all over the country to help inform the citizens about the Canadian history.

  • Father’s Day – This holiday always falls on the 3rd Sunday in June every year and it is the day where the fathers are celebrated. The families spend time together and they give their father and other father like figures gifts and cards. It is also a tradition to participate in any of the charity runs and the profits are then donated to prostate cancer research.

  • Discovery Day – This holiday is celebrated in the Labrador and Newfoundland provinces on the Monday that is the closest to June 24th each year. This holidays celebrates the discovery of the provinces by John Cabot in 1947. Also, since 1997, which was the 500th Anniversary, it is also known as Cabot 500 Day.

  • The National Holiday of Quebec – This holiday was introduced to the country by the French colonists who had settled in Canada and who wanted to celebrate the Feast of Saint John the Baptist. He is thought to be the patron saint for the Canadians who are of French heritage and the celebrations on this holiday date back to 1636. This day was declared to be a legal holiday in 1925 and in 1977 it was made into a national holiday.

  • Canada Day – This holiday celebrates the anniversary of the Great Britain ruling the country and it has been celebrated since the 19th century. The day is celebrated in an organized manner, and has been since 1958, and the arrangements are taken care of by the Secretary of State of Canada.

  • Civic Day – This is a paid holiday and it allows the employees to take a day off during the summer break, which would allow them to enjoy the sunshine and the warmth before the winter and the cold start to set in.

  • Discovery Day – This holiday has been celebrated sine 1911 in Yukon and it is on the 3rd Monday of August every year to celebrate the day that gold was found in 1896 in the Bonanza Creek in Yukon. George Washington Carmack had discovered the gold on August 17th and this led to the gold rush that is well-known in the country. This day is also called as the Klondike Gold Discovery Day.

  • Labor Day – This holiday has been celebrated in the country since 1872 when the Toronto based printers had revolted against the crazy hours they were working each week. During this time it wasn’t legal for there to be any activity regarding labor unions. Since that time this day has celebrated and upheld the rights of the employees and acknowledges their contributions to the economy. Picnics, parades and marches are held on this day.

  • Thanksgiving – This holiday was introduced to the country by Martin Frobisher, who is a British explorer who had celebrated this holiday in order to show his gratitude for surviving his exploration trip. This day became a national holiday in 1879 and is celebrated by showing gratitude for general good health and a good harvest during the year.

  • Remembrance Day – This is the day that the World War I ended back in 1918 and the country celebrates this day through p