National Tartan Day in Canada

Thursday, April 6, 2017

Today we mark Tartan Day where we recognize and celebrate the contributions of the Scots and their descendants in Canada.

On October 21, 2010, the Minister of Canadian Heritage officially declared April 6 as Tartan Day. It is celebrated on April 6 because it is the anniversary of the signing of Declaration of Arbroath in 1320, the Scottish declaration of independence.

In Canada, the day originated in the late 1980s in Nova Scotia, where it was declared an official day by the provincial government. It then spread across the country, with many provinces joining over the years.