Commonwealth Day - History, Other holidays, Commonwealth Day on stamps

The second Monday in March, celebrated with receptions, educational events, etc throughout the Commonwealth; originally instituted as Empire Day (by which name it was known until 1960) and held on 24 May, Queen Victoria's birthday; from 1967, celebrated in June on the official birthday of Queen Elizabeth II; changed to its present date in 1977.

Commonwealth Day is the annual celebration of the Commonwealth of Nations held on the second Monday in March, and which is marked by a multi-faith service in Westminster Abbey normally attended by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Head of the Commonwealth, the Commonwealth Secretary-General and the Commonwealth High Commissioners in London.

While it has a certain official status, Commonwealth Day is not a public holiday in most Commonwealth countries and there is very little public awareness of it.

History

After the death in 1901 of Queen Victoria, the first British Monarch who used the style Emperor/Empress of India (in chief of the British position as Paramount ruler) in addition to the royal title of the UK, her birthday, May 24, was made an annual commemoration under the name Empire Day.

The National Council in Canada of the Royal Commonwealth Society expressed in a letter to then Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, in 1973, that Commonwealth Day should be observed on the same day throughout all the countries of the Commonwealth.

In 2006 Queen Elizabeth II delivered her Commonwealth Day address from St. Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney, Australia.

Other holidays

Although Commonwealth Day is not widely known, many Commonwealth countries do have at least one public holiday that celebrates the Sovereign's birthday.

In Canada and some parts of Scotland, particularly in Edinburgh and Dundee, the Monday on or before May 24 is still a public holiday known as Victoria Day.

In various other member states of the Commonwealth, Commonwealth Day is celebrated on the second Monday in March.

Commonwealth Day on stamps

In 1983 Commonwealth Day was commemorated by the postal administrations of the Commonwealth.

Stamps were issued by:

Aitutaki Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Australia Bahamas Bangladesh Barbados Barbuda Belize Botswana British Virgin Islands Brunei Canada Cayman Islands Cook Islands Cyprus Commonwealth of Dominica Falkland Islands Fiji The Gambia Ghana Gibraltar Grenada Guyana Hong Kong India Jamaica Kenya Kiribati Lesotho Malawi Malaysia Malta Mauritius Nevis New Zealand Nigeria Niue Papua New Guinea Penrhyn Island Pitcairn Islands St Kitts Saint Lucia St Vincent & Caicos Tuvalu Uganda United Kingdom Vanuatu Zambia Zimbabwe

The notable ommissions were:

Bermuda British Antarctic Territory Cayes of Belize Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Guernsey Isle of Man Jersey Republic of Maldives Montserrat Nauru Norfolk Island Redonda Ross Dependency Zil Elwagne Sesel