Tonight and tomorrow, people across the province will be coming together to celebrate Quebec’s national holiday. But how much do we really know about what is commonly known as “la Saint-Jean?”
Q: Who was Saint Jean Baptiste?
A: The name Saint Jean Baptiste refers to Saint John the Baptist — the Jewish preacher who, as recounted in the Bible, baptized Jesus in the Jordan River.
Q: What are the origins of St-Jean-Baptiste Day?
A: In ancient times, the summer solstice was honoured around June 21. In the fifth century, Christianity spread through France, and the focus of the celebrations turned to honouring John the Baptist on June 24 — his feast day. Traditionally, bonfires would be lit on the eve of June 24 in order to honour the saint.
Q: Why is St-Jean-Baptiste Day celebrated in Quebec?
A: The festivities made their way to North America thanks to French colonists. The first celebration in Lower Canada can be traced back to 1646, when a cannon was fired by the banks of the St. Lawrence River. Over time, the festival lost importance, but in 1834, a journalist named Ludger Duvernay was inspired by Montreal’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations and decided to create a similar event for French Canadians. Duvernay established the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste in 1843, an organization that aimed to promote St-Jean-Baptiste Day celebrations. In 1880, the society organized the first Congrès national des Canadiens français, set to coincide with regular festivities. A song composed by Calixa Lavallée and Adolphe-Basile Routhier was performed at the convention for the very first time. This song was “O Canada,” which would become Canada’s national anthem a century later. In 1908, Saint Jean Baptiste was named the patron saint of French-speaking Canadians. In 1925, St-Jean-Baptiste Day became a provincial holiday in Quebec. During the Quiet Revolution, the event took a political turn, with many riots and protests taking place.
Q: When did St-Jean-Baptiste Day become the Fête Nationale?
A: In 1977, the celebration was officially declared as being the Fête Nationale du Québec, or the Quebec national holiday, by the Lieutenant-Governor Hugues Lapointe, under the advice of then Premier René Lévesque. June 24 is a paid statutory holiday in the province, covered under the Act Respecting Labour Standards. Although religious ties have all but disappeared from Quebec’s celebration of the holiday, people still refer to June 24 as “la Saint-Jean.”
Q: When and where will the festivities take place in Montreal?
Montreal’s main festivities will be taking place Tuesday night, starting at 9 p.m. with a concert at Place des Festivals
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