Victoria Day May 19, 2025

Every May, Canadians roll out the red carpet and prep the fireworks for a queen who never set foot here. Victoria Day marks Queen Victoria"s birthday—24 May—and has been observed since 1845, celebrated on the Monday preceding that date. Officially recognised as a holiday in the mid-19th century, it"s a nod to the country"s colonial roots and a reminder of the queen"s lasting influence. It"s more than just a long weekend; for many, it marks the unofficial start of summer, with parades, picnics and festivities across the country, particularly in British Columbia.

© bluejayphoto/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

How can we help at-risk animals?
Standing on glass 275+ metres in the air
May 19, 2024Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Liguria, Italy

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Feb. 24, 2024Almond trees in full bloom, California
Mar. 28, 2024Cherry blossoms in Shanghai, China
Feb. 22, 2026Mam Tor, Derbyshire, England
City of ice
Aug. 1, 2024Floating fruit market, Kaptai Lake, Rangamati, Bangladesh
Dragon tails trail to the sea
Stealthy pollinators
Sep. 2, 2024Milky Way over the Elbow River in southern Alberta
An iridescent view
Feb. 20, 2026Horsetail Fall in Yosemite National Park, California, United States
Mar. 26, 2025Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival
May 6, 2024The Roaches ridge in the Peak District, England
Sep. 4, 2023Camels in the desert, United Arab Emirates
Dec. 31, 2023Happy New Years Eve!
Add wind, combine with water, and you’ll get...
Nov. 8, 2025Bandon Beach in Bandon, Oregon, United States
Jul. 21, 2025Coral Reef Awareness Week
Sep. 23, 2023Nuit Blanche Toronto
A cantilevered window to the past
Aug. 22, 2023Amphitheatre of El Jem, Tunisia
Jul. 24, 2025Happy Cousins Day!
Mar. 25, 2025Tolkien Reading Day
Why are blackbirds tied to winter?
The Big Apple with a foggy topping
Sep. 10, 2024Vasco da Gama Bridge, Lisbon, Portugal
Who’s snoozing?
Golden cliffs of deep space
Feb. 18, 2026Przewalskis horses
‘Only one Earth’
Jan. 22, 2026Karlovy Vary, Bohemia, Czechia