Commonwealth Day is celebrated on May 24 in India and a couple of other countries. Commonwealth Day is also commonly known as Empire Day. It marks the development of the British Empire in India and other colonies of Britain.
The theme for Commonwealth Day 2022 is ‘Delivering a Common Future’ – which highlights how the fifty-four member countries in the Commonwealth family are ‘innovating, connecting and transforming’ to help attain goals like fighting climate change, promoting good governance, and improving trade.
History
Commonwealth Day, formerly known as Empire Day, was established in 1902. After the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, this day was established as a holiday that honored England, the unity between nations of the Commonwealth, and its ideals of freedom, tolerance, and justice. This day was first celebrated on May 24, 1902, which was the Queen’s birthday.
However, it was celebrated in many schools across the British Empire even before it was formally recognised as an annual event. By the 1950s, the British Empire had begun to disintegrate as several colonies gained independence, and Empire Day had lost its significance.
However, the majority of them kept ties with Britain and established the Commonwealth of Nations.Empire Day was renamed Commonwealth Day in 1958. In 1973, the Royal Commonwealth Society proposed the day be changed, and the second Monday in March was selected by the Commonwealth Secretariat as the observance day.