The story
Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day / Fete nationale du Quebec in Multiple cities
Quebec's Fete nationale, held every June 24, grew from a colonial-era religious feast into the province's official secular holiday, marked with bonfires, fireworks and free outdoor concerts in cities and towns across Quebec. Montreal's Parc Maisonneuve and Quebec City's Plains of Abraham host the largest public programs, while smaller municipalities keep a simpler bonfire-and-fiddle format. The fleur-de-lis and the song Gens du pays appear at nearly every gathering.
Bonfires lit at dusk on June 24 are the oldest continuous thread running through Quebec's national holiday, a custom that predates Confederation and traces back to Saint-Jean-Baptiste gatherings recorded in Quebec City as early as 1636.