Celebrating Dominion Day!

In celebration of our glorious Dominon of Canada, we spent the afternoon at a local living history museum that was offering free admission for Canada Day.  We stepped back in time to life in a rural community as experienced by settlers in the late 1800’s.  So I guess that means I can say (while maintaining political correctness) we were actually celebrating Dominion Day!  That is what “Canada Day” was called for over a century until it was changed in the early 80’s.  It’s my step-dad’s preferred title for this July 1st holiday so perhaps I’ve grown up a bit biased, but I do think Dominion Day has a much more distinguished ring to it than its bland and utterly uncreative replacement – Canada Day.  Canada is, afterall, still officially a Dominion…a name suggested by one of the fathers of confederation based on Psalm 72:8.  (“He shall have dominion also from sea to sea…”) I’ll leave the history lesson at that, but if you’re interested in learning more about the “sneaky process” of this name change, this article is a good read.

So, back to our afternoon in the 1890’s…there were potato sack races, farm animals to see, a blacksmith at work, horse and wagon rides, candle making, lots to look at in the old general store, and just the overall sense of serenity of an afternoon spent in the country, away from the sights and sounds of the city.  It sure beat the alternative of battling rowdy crowds and tourist traffic downtown today!  And my girls just lapped it up!  C-Bear especially perks up at the mention of anything “old-fashioned”.  My husband and I often joke that she was born in the wrong century.

To top it off, there were lots of familiar faces.  We must have seen at least 20 other homeschool families there.  I love that about life on an island!  There is such a sense of belonging and the roots go so nourishingly deep!

I am turning in for the night with “true patriot love” and a “glowing heart”. Whatever you want to call the July 1st holiday, this one turned out to be surprisingly good for my soul!  Dominion Day in the 1890’s might have to become an annual tradition!