Celebrate

Students of American history know that there were once thirteen British colonies along the Atlantic coast. Representatives of the colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain on July 4, 1776, and fought the American Revolution to gain that independence. The USA celebrates July 4 as its birthday.

However, those thirteen colonies were not the only British colonies in North America. The colonies in what is now Canada did not rebel against Great Britain. Canada maintains close ties to the United Kingdom to this day, so it has no Independence Day to celebrate. However, Canadians do celebrate a national birthday. In 1867 the British Parliament passed an act joining its colonies in North America into a confederation called Canada. Queen Victoria signed the act in March and it became law on July 1, 1867. Today Canadians celebrate July 1 as Canada Day.

One year our family enjoyed a Canadian flag cake on Canada Day, even inviting another family to our house to enjoy it with us. You may think that we pay attention to Canada Day because of our love of history, but our reason is even more special. Canada Day is the birthday of one of our daughters.

Flags of the United States and Canada beneath the Blue Water Bridge over the St. Clair River that connects Port Huron, a city at the southern end of Lake Huron at the easternmost point of land in Michigan, with Sarnia, Ontario, in Canada. Carol M. Highsmith’s America Project in the Carol M. Highsmith Archive at the Library of Congress.

I love to celebrate. Celebrating is a way to show love to others. Celebrating birthdays tells people you are glad they were born. Inviting others to celebrate holidays and other special occasions with you says that they are important to you and that you want to spend time with them.

When I was about ten years old, I went to a birthday party for a girl in my class. As soon as I got there, one of my closest friends told me that the birthday girl had just said that she only invited me because her mother said she must. The birthday girl is now a grandmother like I am. She has a deep and strong faith in God, and she is my friend. She probably doesn’t remember saying that at all. I’m glad that happened to me. It helped me know the importance of making people feel welcome at celebrations.

So, Happy Canada Day, Canadians.

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love;
give preference to one another in honor.
Romans 12:10, NASB

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