Canada Day / Fête du Canada

Today, July 1st, is Canada Day!!! Yeah!! Let's celebrate!!
But, aaaah, I beg your pardon, aaaah, what is Canada Day?

Well, according to the Wikipedia:
"Frequently referred to as "Canada's birthday," particularly in the popular press, the occasion marks the joining of the British colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Province of Canada - being divided, in the process, into Ontario and Quebec - into a federation of four province on July 1, 1867..."

Hum... Nice. Happy 141 birthday! It's like the September 7th for us, Brazilians. It's Independence Day, isn't it? Oh, wait... it's not over yet:

"... However, though Canada is regarded as having become a kingdom in its own right on that date, the British Parliament at first kept limited rights of political control over the new country, which were shed by stages over the years until the last vestiges were ended in 1982, when the Constitution Act patriated the Canadian constitution. Canada Day thus differs from Independence Day celebrations in other countries in that it does not commemorate a clear-cut date of complete independence."

Oh, I see... sorry about that. 1982? Really?! Hunf... Yeah, I must say that it sounds a little bit coward, you know. "Mother, I'm leaving! But fell free to come over and ground me whenever you please."

Why didn't you people used the US of A independence as an excuse and did yours? Come on! Where are the stories of fight for your freedom, blood for the nation and end the tyranny? Nope? I see...

Let me tell you a REAL Independence story. Sit. It's a long one (but also the best part of today's post).

Once upon a time, there was this Portuguese colony. When Napoleon decided to invade Portugal, the Portuguese royal family ran away to its colony, escorted by the British navy. Once they can not live in a colony, they promoted it to the status of United Kingdom of Portugal and Brasil.

After a while, the short french sovereign lost his megalomaniac war, and the people of Portugal demand the return of their royal family. The Portuguese went back, but they left behind a young prince, who was born in Lisbon but went to Brazil at the age of 9, and 13 years later he didn't want to go back.

You know what I mean. You're 22, a young loaded European prince, who happens to be the next one in the throne's line... Spent your whole puberty living in YOUR colony, where is so, so hot, that the native walk naked all the time... 2 + 2=? Young prince + naked natives? Yeah... he wants to stay. "Just in case, you know, papa, big-K... We have those Independence revolutions going on here... I think it would be better if I stay, watch over our land here, right? I'll go back in a couple of years."

He didn't. In the next year, on September 7th 1822, he proclaimed Brazil's Independence and became Brazil's first Emperor. Papa was pissed, but not that much, and with a fine of 2 million pounds sterling, the big-K even recognized Brazil's independence.