Canada Public Holidays in 2008
Canada has a total of 103 holidays in 2008. In the table below, you will find the details of the holidays and when they are observed. All the information display below is also available via our API as well as downloadable as a csv. Signup here to get started.
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| Holiday | Date | Details |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day |
Tuesday, January 1, 2008 | New Year's Day is the first day of a new year according to the Gregorian calendar used in Canada and many other countries. |
| Epiphany |
Sunday, January 6, 2008 | Many people in Canada annually observe Epiphany, or Three Kings’ Day, on January 6. It is a Christian observance. |
| Orthodox Christmas Day |
Monday, January 7, 2008 | Many Orthodox Christian churches in countries such as Canada observe Christmas Day on or near January 7 in the Gregorian calendar. |
| Muharram/Islamic New Year |
Thursday, January 10, 2008 | The first day of Muharram, which is the first month in the Islamic calendar, marks the start of the Islamic New Year. |
| Orthodox New Year |
Monday, January 14, 2008 | Many Orthodox Christian churches in countries such as Canada celebrate New Year’s Day on January 14 in the Gregorian calendar. |
| Ashura |
Saturday, January 19, 2008 | Ashura is a Muslim in Canada |
| Tu B'Shevat (Arbor Day) |
Tuesday, January 22, 2008 | Tu B’Shevat is known as the “New Year for Trees”, is a Jewish festival that marks the start of a new cycle for the tithe on fruit trees. |
| Groundhog Day |
Saturday, February 2, 2008 | Groundhog Day is celebrated in Canada on February 2 each year. |
| Carnival / Shrove Tuesday / Pancake Day |
Tuesday, February 5, 2008 | Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday. It may coincide with the winter carnival season in Canada. |
| Ash Wednesday |
Wednesday, February 6, 2008 | Ash Wednesday marks the first day of Lent in for many Christians in Canada. |
| Lunar New Year |
Thursday, February 7, 2008 | Lunar New Year marks the first day of the New Year in the Chinese calendar. |
| Valentine's Day |
Thursday, February 14, 2008 | On Valentine's Day, people pronounce or re-affirm their feelings of romantic love for someone, often by sending cards or giving gifts. |
| National Flag of Canada Day |
Friday, February 15, 2008 | Flag Day in Canada commemorates the inauguration of the Canadian national flag, which features a red maple leaf on a red and white background. |
| Louis Riel Day |
Monday, February 18, 2008 | Louis Riel Day celebrates the achievements and life of Louis Riel, a Canadian politician who was a leader of the Métis people. |
| Family Day |
Monday, February 18, 2008 | Family Day is a public holiday in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Ontario, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, and New Brunswick. |
| Yukon Heritage Day |
Friday, February 22, 2008 | National Heritage Day, also known as Heritage Day, is usually celebrated in the Yukon in Canada on the last Friday of February. |
| St David's Day |
Saturday, March 1, 2008 | Many Welsh communities in Canada annually celebrate the life St David, who is Wales’ patron saint, on St David’s Day on March 1. |
| Daylight Saving Time starts |
Sunday, March 9, 2008 | Daylight Saving Time starts in Canada |
| Commonwealth Day |
Monday, March 10, 2008 | The Commonwealth of Nations, which includes Canada, is commemorated on Commonwealth Day. |
| Palm Sunday |
Sunday, March 16, 2008 | Palm Sunday in Canada celebrates Jesus Christ’s entry into Jerusalem. It is also the Sunday before Easter Sunday. |
| St. Patrick's Day |
Monday, March 17, 2008 | St Patrick's Day commemorates the life and work of St Patrick, a Christian missionary who lived in the fourth and fifth centuries. |
| Maundy Thursday |
Thursday, March 20, 2008 | Many Christians in the Canada celebrate Maundy Thursday on the Thursday before Good Friday. |
| Milad un Nabi (Mawlid) |
Thursday, March 20, 2008 | Eid Milad ul-Nabi marks the anniversary of the Prophet Muhammad's birth and death. |
| March Equinox |
Thursday, March 20, 2008 | March Equinox in Canada (Ottawa) |
| Purim |
Friday, March 21, 2008 | Purim commemorates a time when Jewish people were saved from death around the fourth century BCE, according to the Book of Esther. |
| Good Friday |
Friday, March 21, 2008 | On Good Friday, Christians commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and it is a statutory holiday in many parts of Canada. |
| Holy Saturday |
Saturday, March 22, 2008 | Holy Saturday is the day before Easter Sunday in Canada. |
| Easter Sunday |
Sunday, March 23, 2008 | Easter Sunday is the most important day in the Christian church calendar in Canada. It celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ after his crucifixion, according to Christian belief. |
| Easter Monday |
Monday, March 24, 2008 | Easter Monday is the day after Easter Sunday and a holiday for many Canadians. |
| Vimy Ridge Day |
Wednesday, April 9, 2008 | Vimy Ridge Day commemorates the Canadian soldier’s battle and victory at Vimy Ridge in France during the First World War. |
| First day of Passover |
Sunday, April 20, 2008 | Passover marks the Israelites' liberation from slavery and their exodus from Egypt around 3000 years ago. |
| St. George's Day |
Monday, April 21, 2008 | St George’s Day is a holiday in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. |
| Orthodox Good Friday |
Friday, April 25, 2008 | Many Orthodox Christians in Canada remember the events leading up to Jesus Christ's crucifixion on Great Friday. |
| Orthodox Holy Saturday |
Saturday, April 26, 2008 | Many Orthodox Christians in Canada remember Jesus Christ’s burial and his descent into Hades on Holy Saturday. |
| Last day of Passover |
Sunday, April 27, 2008 | The last day of Passover marks the end of the Passover period, which lasts for seven or eight days. |
| Orthodox Easter |
Sunday, April 27, 2008 | Orthodox Christians in Canada celebrate Jesus Christ’s resurrection on Easter Sunday, also known as Pascha. |
| Orthodox Easter Monday |
Monday, April 28, 2008 | Many Orthodox churches in Canada observe Easter Monday on the day after the Orthodox Easter Sunday date. |
| Yom HaShoah |
Wednesday, April 30, 2008 | Yom Hashoah commemorates the lives of about six million Jewish people who died during World War II. This observance is annually held on the 27th day of the month of Nisan. |
| Ascension Day |
Thursday, May 1, 2008 | Ascension Day is the 40th day of Easter and commemorates Jesus Christ’s ascension into heaven, according to Christian belief. |
| Yom HaAtzmaut |
Thursday, May 8, 2008 | Many Jewish communities in Canada celebrate Yom Ha’Atzmaut, which is Israel’s Independence Day, on the fifth day of the month of Iyar in the Jewish calendar. |
| Pentecost |
Sunday, May 11, 2008 | Many Christians in Canada observe Pentecost, also known as Whitsunday or Whit Sunday. |
| Mothers' Day |
Sunday, May 11, 2008 | Mother’s Day is celebrated in Canada on the second Sunday of May each year. |
| Whit Monday |
Monday, May 12, 2008 | Whit Monday is a Christian observance also known as Pentecost Monday. It is the day after Pentecost, or Whitsunday. |
| Trinity Sunday |
Sunday, May 18, 2008 | Trinity Sunday is the first Sunday after Pentecost and is celebrated by many Christians in Canada. |
| National Patriots' Day |
Monday, May 19, 2008 | National Patriots’ Day is an annual holiday in Québec, Canada, on the Monday before May 25. |
| Victoria Day |
Monday, May 19, 2008 | Victoria Day is celebrated in honor of the birthdays of both Queen Victoria and the current monarch of Canada. |
| Corpus Christi |
Thursday, May 22, 2008 | Corpus Christi is a Christian observance that honors the Holy Eucharist. |
| Lag B'Omer |
Friday, May 23, 2008 | Many Jewish people in Canada observe Lag B’Omer on the 18th day of the month of Iyar in the Jewish calendar. |
| Shavuot |
Monday, June 9, 2008 | Shavuot, also known as the Festival of Weeks, is one of three major Jewish festivals celebrated among many Jewish Canadians. |
| Fathers' Day |
Sunday, June 15, 2008 | Father’s Day celebrates the contribution that fathers and father figures make to their children’s lives. |
| June Solstice |
Friday, June 20, 2008 | June Solstice in Canada (Ottawa) |
| National Aboriginal Day |
Saturday, June 21, 2008 | National Indigenous Peoples Day celebrates Canada’s Indigenous culture and the achievements made by the country’s indigenous peoples. |
| Discovery Day |
Monday, June 23, 2008 | Newfoundland and Labrador’s June holiday commemorates John Cabot’s arrival at the province on June 24, 1497. |
| St. Jean Baptiste Day |
Tuesday, June 24, 2008 | Saint Jean Baptiste Day (Fête nationale du Québec, Quebec National Holiday, la Saint-Jean, St. John the Baptist Day) is the national holiday of the Canadian province of Quebec. |
| Memorial Day |
Tuesday, July 1, 2008 | Memorial Day is observed in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, on July 1 each year. |
| Canada Day |
Tuesday, July 1, 2008 | Canada Day is a federal holiday on July 1 to mark the anniversary of the date that Canada became a self-governing country. |
| Nunavut Day |
Wednesday, July 9, 2008 | Nunavut Day is an annual holiday in Canada's Nunavut Territory. |
| Orangemen's Day |
Monday, July 14, 2008 | Orangemen's Day is a provincial holiday in Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada. It commemorates the Battle of the Boyne, which took place in 1690 outside Drogheda, now in the Republic of Ireland. |
| Isra and Mi'raj |
Thursday, July 31, 2008 | Isra and Mi'raj (Isra Me'raj, Israa and Mi'raaj, Laylat Al-Isra wa Al-Miraj, Lailat al Miraj, Night Journey and Ascension to Heaven) marks the night when the Prophet Mohammad traveled from Mecca to Jerusalem, ascended to heaven and returned. |
| Civic/Provincial Day |
Monday, August 4, 2008 | Many Canadian provinces and territories have a civic holiday to celebrate some aspect of their culture or history on the first Monday of August. |
| Saskatchewan Day |
Monday, August 4, 2008 | Saskatchewan Day is a local holiday in Canada |
| New Brunswick Day |
Monday, August 4, 2008 | New Brunswick Day is an opportunity for Canadians from the province of New Brunswick to celebrate their history and culture. It is celebrated on the first Monday of August. |
| British Columbia Day |
Monday, August 4, 2008 | British Columbia Day is a statutory holiday in the Canadian province of British Columbia. |
| Natal Day |
Monday, August 4, 2008 | Natal Day is a civic holiday to celebrate the “birthday” of the Nova Scotia province. It is held on the first Monday of August. |
| Heritage Day |
Monday, August 4, 2008 | Heritage Day is celebrated in Alberta on the first Monday of August. Although it is not a statutory holiday, it may used as an optional holiday to celebrate Canadian heritage in the province. |
| The Royal St John's Regatta (Regatta Day) |
Wednesday, August 6, 2008 | Regatta Day is on the first Wednesday of August and it is a local holiday in the Canadian province Newfoundland and Labrador. |
| Tisha B'Av |
Sunday, August 10, 2008 | Tisha B’Av is on the ninth day of the month of Av in the Jewish calendar. |
| Assumption of Mary |
Friday, August 15, 2008 | The Feast of the Assumption of Mary in Canada is observed as a Holy Day of Obligation - a day when some Christian denominations are obliged to attend mass, on August 15 each year. |
| Gold Cup Parade |
Friday, August 15, 2008 | The Gold Cup Parade is Atlantic Canada’s largest parade and the largest parade east of Montreal. It is held annually in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada on the third Friday of August. |
| Discovery Day |
Monday, August 18, 2008 | Discovery Day is a public holiday in the Canadian territory of Yukon on the third Monday of August. It commemorates the anniversary of the discovery of gold in Bonanza Creek in the 19th century. |
| Labour Day |
Monday, September 1, 2008 | Labour Day in Canada is a holiday to campaign for workers' rights. It celebrates the achievements of these rights. |
| Ramadan Start |
Tuesday, September 2, 2008 | Many Muslims in Canada welcome Ramadan as period of fasting, self-evaluation and spiritual growth. Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. |
| September Equinox |
Monday, September 22, 2008 | September Equinox in Canada (Ottawa) |
| Lailat al-Qadr |
Saturday, September 27, 2008 | Laylat al-Qadr is most likely to be held on one of the last 10 days of month of Ramadan in the Islamic calendar. |
| Rosh Hashana |
Tuesday, September 30, 2008 | Rosh Hashana, also spelled Rosh Hashanah, is commonly known as the Jewish New Year. The event begins on the first day of Tishrei (or Tishri), which is the seventh month in the Jewish calendar. |
| Eid ul Fitr |
Thursday, October 2, 2008 | Eid al-Fitr is a holiday to mark the end of the Islamic month of Ramadan, during which Muslims fast during the hours of daylight. |
| Feast of St Francis of Assisi |
Saturday, October 4, 2008 | Many churches in Canada celebrate the Feast of St Francis of Assisi to honor St Francis, the patron saint of animals and the environment, on October 4 each year. |
| Yom Kippur |
Thursday, October 9, 2008 | Yom Kippur is an important Jewish holiday that falls on the 10th day of the month of Tishrei in the Jewish calendar. |
| Thanksgiving Day |
Monday, October 13, 2008 | Thanksgiving Day is a holiday to give thanks for the blessings in one's life, particularly the harvest. It is a day off work for many Canadians. |
| First day of Sukkot |
Tuesday, October 14, 2008 | The first day of Sukkot marks the start of the Sukkot festival for Jewish communities in many countries, including Canada. |
| Hoshana Rabbah |
Monday, October 20, 2008 | Many Jewish communities in countries such as Canada observe the last day of Sukkot, which marks the end of the Sukkot festival. |
| Shemini Atzeret |
Tuesday, October 21, 2008 | Shemini Atzeret (or Shmini Atzeret) is a Jewish holiday dedicated to the love of God, while Simchat Torah (Simchas Torah or Simhat Torah) marks the end of Sukkot and celebrates the completion of the annual reading of the Torah. |
| Simchat Torah |
Wednesday, October 22, 2008 | Simchat Torah (Simchas Torah or Simhat Torah) is a Jewish holiday that marks the end of Sukkot and celebrates the completion of the annual reading of the Torah. |
| Diwali/Deepavali |
Tuesday, October 28, 2008 | Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights, marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year. |
| Halloween |
Friday, October 31, 2008 | Halloween in Canada stems from Celtic origins and marks a time when people believed spirits and the dead crossed over into the world of the living for one night. |
| All Saints' Day |
Saturday, November 1, 2008 | Many churches honor all their saints on All Saints' Day, also known as All Hallows' Day. |
| All Souls' Day |
Sunday, November 2, 2008 | All Souls’ Day falls on November 2 each year. It is a day of alms giving and prayers for the dead. |
| Daylight Saving Time ends |
Sunday, November 2, 2008 | Daylight Saving Time ends in Canada |
| National Aboriginal Veterans Day |
Saturday, November 8, 2008 | National Aboriginal Veterans Day is a observance in Canada |
| Remembrance Day |
Tuesday, November 11, 2008 | Remembrance Day commemorates civilians and military personnel who lost their lives in armed conflicts. |
| First Sunday of Advent |
Sunday, November 30, 2008 | Many Christians in Canada celebrate the first Sunday of Advent in the lead up to Christmas. |
| Feast of the Immaculate Conception |
Monday, December 8, 2008 | The Feast of the Immaculate Conception is a Christian observance on December 8 each year. |
| Eid al-Adha |
Tuesday, December 9, 2008 | Many Muslims in Canada celebrate Eid al-Adha around the 10th to the 13th days of the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah. |
| Anniversary of the Statute of Westminster |
Thursday, December 11, 2008 | The Anniversary of the Statute of Westminster is annually held in Canada on December 11. |
| December Solstice |
Sunday, December 21, 2008 | December Solstice in Canada (Ottawa) |
| First Day of Hanukkah |
Monday, December 22, 2008 | The first day of Hanukkah is the start of the Hanukkah period, which lasts for 8 days, from the 25th day of the month of Kislev to the second day of Tevet in the Hebrew calendar. |
| Christmas Eve |
Wednesday, December 24, 2008 | Christmas Eve in Canada is the day before Christmas Day and always falls on December 24 according to the Gregorian calendar. |
| Christmas Day |
Thursday, December 25, 2008 | Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas Day in Canada. |
| Kwanzaa (first day) |
Friday, December 26, 2008 | Kwanzaa is a week-long holiday honoring the culture and traditions of African people and their descendants worldwide. |
| Boxing Day |
Friday, December 26, 2008 | The day after Christmas Day is known as Boxing Day and is a holiday in many parts of Canada. |
| Last day of Hanukkah |
Monday, December 29, 2008 | The last day of Hanukkah marks the end of the festive Jewish occasion known as Hanukkah, or Chanukah. |
| Muharram/Islamic New Year |
Monday, December 29, 2008 | The first day of Muharram, which is the first month in the Islamic calendar, marks the start of the Islamic New Year. |
| New Year's Eve |
Wednesday, December 31, 2008 | New Year's Eve is the last day of the year and the day before New Year's Day. New Year's Eve in Canada always falls on December 31 according to the Gregorian calendar. |
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