Next: 1 Jul 2027
Canada Day
Red and white, the national colours, with the red maple leaf on faces, shirts and flags.
The colours of Canada Day
Canada Day marks 1 July 1867, when three British colonies joined to form the Dominion of Canada. Crowds dress in red and white and paint a maple leaf on their cheeks. Red and white were declared the national colours by King George V in 1921. The flag itself is younger: the red maple leaf between two red bars was adopted in 1965, after a long debate, to replace a flag that carried the Union Jack. In Ottawa the Royal Canadian Mounted Police ride in their scarlet tunics, and the air force display team trails white smoke. In recent years some Canadians have worn orange on the day in memory of the children of the residential schools.
#D80621Maple redThe maple leaf and bars of the flag.#FFFFFFFlag whiteThe centre of the flag.#B4151BMountie scarletThe red serge tunic of the mounted police.Values are fair approximations, not official shades.
Read about the colours
Written by the Rang desk with AI assistance. Background: "Canada Day" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from family to family and place to place. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.