Day 190…
Yes, that’s right, it’s the 190th day of the year with 175 remaining until once again we’ll be singing Auld Lang Syne to ring in a new year!
Today, in Canada, it also happens to be Nunavut Day!
Yes, “on April 1, 1999, Nunavut officially split from the Northwest Territories and this date and its anniversary in 2000 became known as Nunavut Day. However, April 1 did not have any real meaning for the people of Nunavut. Nunavut Day celebrations were moved to July 9 in 2001 and have remained on that date since then.”
“Nunavut’s coat of arms is based on a circular shield split in two by a horizontal line representing the horizon. The top part of the shield is blue (the sky) and includes images of a golden five pointed star (the North Star) and an arc of five golden circles (the sun in general and the midnight sun in particular). The circle’s lower part is golden and includes images of a blue inukshuk and a qulliq.
The inukshuk is an Inuit land marker constructed from five stones representing sacred places in the landscape. The qulliq is an Inuit stone lamp that represents light in the dark winter months and the warmth of the family and community. On top of the shield is an image of an iglu (igloo) representing the traditional way of life and a crown representing the connection of Nunavut with the monarch. The shield is supported by a caribou and a narwhal on a base composed of land, sea and ice.”
“The Nunavut flag is a rectangle that is divided into two halves vertically. The half closest to the flagpole is yellow and other half is white. On the white half there is a blue five pointed star that represents the North Star and the leadership of elders in the community. The halves are separated by a red inukshuk. Other symbols of Nunavut Territory include the Purple Saxifrage (territory flower), the Rock Ptarmigan (territory bird) and the words “Nunavut, Our Strength” in Inuktitut.”
I think over again my small adventures,
My fears,
Those small ones that seemed so big,
For all the vital things
I had to get and to reach;
And yet there is only one great thing,
The only thing,
To live to see the great day that dawns
And the light that fills the world.
Anonymous (Inuit, 19th century)
Cheers to a light filled day!!!
Inukshuk at Vancouver’s English Bay
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