When is Independence Day?

Independence day celebrations are quickly approaching and many employees are looking forward to enjoying time spent with family and friends. In the United States we celebrate Independence Day on July 4th each year.

However, we are not the only ones celebrating our independence this time of year. Our friends to the north in Canada celebrate Canada Day on July 1st. This is a commemoration of Canada becoming a self-governing dominion separate from Great Britain. Both countries have much to celebrate and actually have similar ways of enjoying the holiday such as parades, family gatherings, fireworks, and BBQs.

American Independence
Independence Day in the U.S.A. commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776 when the colonies formally separated from the British Empire. What you may not know is that the founding fathers believed that Independence Day would be remembered as July 2nd since that was the day that the continental congress voted to approve the unification of the colonies as a country. Furthermore, the founding fathers didn’t actually sign the Declaration of Independence until August 2, 1776! Their signatures were courageous acts of high treason that would have brought certain death if they had been apprehended and prosecuted by the British government.
 
Today we enjoy a day off to celebrate, but it wasn't until 1870 that July 4th became a federal holiday. That's almost 100 years after the Declaration of Independence was signed! This day has become a symbol of patriotism and a time to stand unified as a country.
 
Canadian Independence
Canada Day, which is formally known as Dominion Day, commemorates the day in which the provinces of Canada unified to become a self-governing dominion on July 1, 1867. British Parliament continued to hold varying amounts of power over Canada’s political affairs up until 1982 when Canada crafted their own constitution and became a separate country. Today, Canada is an independent country, but still part of the Commonwealth of Nations.
 
This year American Independence Day falls on a Tuesday. We’re proud to be an American based company and look forward to spending time with family and friends on the 4th. For a listing of other business holidays, please review our 2017 federal holidays calendar.