省庆，游行及其他 - I Love Montreal

Q: What are the main festivities? ----- montrealgazette

Montreal’s main Fête nationale concert is scheduled for 9 p.m. on Friday at the Place des festivals. Hosted by actor Guillaume Lemay-Thivierge, musical performers will include Robert Charlebois, Claude Dubois and Charlotte Cardin. Before the big concert, public rehearsals will be held between 12:30 and 5:30 p.m., and an opening show will begin at 7:30. The annual parade starts at the corner of St-Denis and Boucher Sts. at 1 p.m. on Saturday before making its way south until it reaches de Rigaud St.

There will also be a celebration on Quebec City’s Plains of Abraham starting at 8 p.m. on Friday. It will feature the likes of Marie-Mai and éric Lapointe.

Q: What is the Fête nationale?

June 24 was declared Quebec’s national holiday — hence the name “Féte nationale” — in 1977. The occasion is usually marked with performances and firework shows across the province, where it is also a statutory holiday. Although the Fête nationale is officially a one-day affair, festivities tend to start the night before. Indeed, a number of concerts are scheduled for June 23 this year.

The Fête Nationale celebration, on June 24, 1880. Courtesy of Bibliothéque de la Assemblée Nationale.
The Fête nationale celebration, on June 24, 1880. Courtesy of Bibliothèque de l’Assemblée Nationale.
Q: Is the Fête nationale different from St-Jean-Baptiste Day?

Not really. June 24 was a major occasion in Quebec before the Fête nationale. French colonists first brought the tradition of celebrating St. John the Baptist’s feast day across the Atlantic. In 1646, before fireworks were commonplace, revellers marked the date by firing a cannon on the bank of the St. Lawrence River. The occasion’s popularity waned during the next two centuries. In 1834, journalist Ludger Duvernay founded the Société St-Jean-Baptiste with the aim of promoting celebrations of its namesake. He had been inspired by Montreal’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities and wanted to create an equivalent occasion for French Canadians. In 1908, St. Jean Baptiste was named the patron saint of French-speaking Canadians. The province made St-Jean-Baptiste Day a provincial holiday in 1925. Even though June 24 no longer holds the same religious connotations, many Quebecers still refer to it as “la St-Jean.”