What is Commonwealth Day 2020? Here's the history and significance of this day

While many people are aware that May 24 is celebrated as Commonwealth Day in India and might wish each other 'Happy Commonwealth Day 2020', they are unaware of the reason why. This is why questions like ‘What is Commonwealth Day?’ surfaces every year. The Commonwealth Day is celebrated on May 24 of every year. This day is celebrated by all the countries that were once under the reign of the British Empire, Commonwealth Day is celebrated on the birth date of Queen Victoria, who was born on May 24, 1819.

ALSO READ | Delivering A Common Future: UK Diplomat Shares Message In Hindi Ahead Of Commonwealth Day

What is Commonwealth Day?

Commonwealth Day History

Commonwealth Day was previously named as Empire Day, as a celebration of the birth of Queen Victoria after 1916. In the year 1916, Lord Meath extended the celebration of Empire Day to all the countries of the Commonwealth. It thus became a major event in history. In the year 1958, the then Prime Minister of United Kingdom, Harold Macmillan, announced in the Parliament that Empire Day will be renamed as Commonwealth Day. The Commonwealth has had a shared history with Britain, along with some cultural links, common legal systems and also business processes. The Commonwealth Secretariat then selected the second Monday of March will be observed as Commonwealth Day, throughout all countries of Commonwealth.

ALSO READ | Commonwealth Hails PM Modi & India's Covid Response; Secretary-Gen Eyes Multilateralism

Commonwealth Day Significance

Commonwealth Day’s significance is of "being a symbol of unity of feeling … to those ideals of freedom, justice and tolerance for which the British Empire [stood] throughout the world", as given in an article dated on 1916. The ideals of the day, when it was celebrated as Empire Day, also included reminding all the children that they formed a part of the British Empire. The children must also think like the ones who live on other lands. They must also know what it is like to be the sons and daughters of the Empire.

ALSO READ | COVID-19 Impact: CGF Postpones 2021 Commonwealth Youth Games To 2023

Commonwealth Day Celebration

Commonwealth Day is celebrated on different dates across the world. UK, Australia and Canada celebrate the day on the second Monday of March. On the other hand, India, along with countries like Belize celebrate Commonwealth Day on May 24. Each year, there is a theme of the Commonwealth Day and the day is celebrated in such a way as to honour and inculcate this theme in the UK and the rest of the Commonwealth. The theme of 2019 was ‘A Connected Commonwealth’. Commonwealth Day 2020 theme, however, is ‘Delivering a Common Future’. Commonwealth Day is not a statutory holiday and it is on the specific country to decide whether a holiday will be observed. It is a public holiday in Gibraltar.

ALSO READ | 'Only Essential Travel To India': Foreign And Commonwealth Office