Fireworks, Folk-dancing, and Fostering a National Identity: The Politics of Canada Day by Hayday Matthew

Section 1

Summary

This paper will review and summarize the article “Fireworks, Folk-dancing, and Fostering a National Identity: The Politics of Canada Day” written by Matthew Hayday. The author begin the article from the history, quoting the event of 1st July 1958, when Governor General of Canada, Vincent Massey address the nation in a simulcast broadcasting to the nation on Dominion Day later renamed as Canada Day. The Canada Day is a national holiday and every year on 1 Of July. It is celebrated in the larger cities, in Canada. Major cities organize parades; music concerts and evening display dazzling fireworks (Hayday, pp. 287-314). The people on the streets wear large hats, Canada, to make up their faces in the national colours, and Canadian flag hoisted on every public building. Canada gained independence from Great Britain in a peaceful way through the 1867 Constitution. The Canadian constitution known as the British North America Act, which got approval by the English Parliament in 1867. The architects of this independence (Cartier, Brown, Macdonald, McGee), however, decided not to obtain absolute sovereignty with Great Britain. That is why; the official head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, represented locally by Governor General, which makes Canada, a part of the British Commonwealth States. The event took place in response of the formation of Dominion of Canada, commemorating the transfer of full political autonomy from Britain. Since then, the Government of Canada promotes national identity on the Dominion or Canada Day to foster national unity. The Vincent Massey emphasized on the “two great streams” that has a great impact on the national heritage of Canada, one is English and other is French. While mentioning these influencing streams, Massey failed to take into account aboriginal people of Canada, which had been perceived as weak national unity in Canada at that time. The author states that assessing the gap in national unity, the government of Canada has changed the objectives of public policies and new concepts of nations introduced (Hayday, pp. 287-314). Canada is a country with great heritage and diversified culture, and in order to keep the unity in the nation, the Government of Canada uses Canada Day to promote and stress the themes of individual achievement and respect for diversity.

Section 2

Perspective of Author in the Article

From the article, it can be claimed that the author is of the view, that using national holidays specially Canada Day, the government of Canada attempts to promote unity among nations. In the event of Canada Day, the government also acknowledges the multiculturalism in Canada, by broadcasting the content that reflects indigenous as well as English and French cultures of Canada (Hayday, pp. 287-314). The celebrations at this day furnish a critical window into understanding the Canadian government's evolving national identity and cultural policies in the post-Second World War era. The author stressed on the politics of the Canada Day in which politicians choose the content to be broadcasted ...