From Stadacona to the REM · Drawing 13 of 43
Québec’s Fête Nationale
June 24, since 1834
On June 24, 1834, a big banquet in Montréal made Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day a celebration of French Canadians. In 1977, June 24 became Québec’s national holiday. Today, families gather to sing and celebrate together.
Look together
How many flags can you see in the picture?
An idea to try
Count the flags with the child. Then invite them to plan a small celebration with a song, a game and something to share.
For the adult reading along
A little more to discover
Saint-Jean-Baptiste celebrations took place in New France long before 1834. Ludger Duvernay’s Montréal banquet gave the occasion a patriotic role; it did not begin every June 24 tradition. Québec designated it the Fête nationale in 1977.
The drawing shows a celebration today, with modern summer clothing and plain festival flags. Talk about how celebrations change over time and how families may take part in different ways.
Sources and illustration notes (1)
An imagined celebration today, rather than a reconstruction of the 1834 banquet. A family, a singer on a low stage, a contained bonfire and three plain festival flags for colouring. No official flag, cross or fleur-de-lis. Clothing has no emblems.
These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. References identify the institution and the related lesson; some linked pages are in French.
- Québec Cultural Heritage Council - The 1834 banquet (French)June 24, 1834 banquet, earlier traditions and the 1977 designation.
Page prepared on November 7, 2026. Illustrations simplify places and scenes; they are not historical documents.
This drawing is from the book Québec’s Great Moments to Colour
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