Show your tricolour pride

Queen鈥檚 University is reviving a tricolour tradition, but with a modern twist.

Queen鈥檚 Day 鈥 formerly known as University Day 鈥 is Oct. 16 and marks the date in 1841 that Queen鈥檚 was granted its Royal Charter from Queen Victoria. Later that year Queen鈥檚 established the date as University Day, which, over the next century, was celebrated on campus with a range of events from track and field contests to concerts to fireworks.

A backdrop has been set up on the west wall of Summerhill for a special Queen鈥檚 Day photo opportunity. At the same time, a series of Queen鈥檚 Day frames and filters have been set up for Facebook and Snapchat. (Communications Staff)

However, the event was halted during the Second World War. It returned briefly in 1991 as the university celebrated its sesquicentennial but ended there. 

Fast-forward now to the university鈥檚 178th anniversary and Oct. 16 will once again be a day to remember 鈥 this time as Queen鈥檚 Day. In organizing the event the Office of Advancement has partnered with the Alma Mater Society (AMS), to set up a program calling on the Queen鈥檚 community to show off their tricolour, with a particular emphasis on social media.

Throughout the day, Queen鈥檚 students, alumni, faculty, and staff, are being encouraged to take pictures of themselves and their friends and tag the Queen鈥檚 Alumni social media accounts 鈥 , , and  鈥 for a chance to win a prize pack. For those on campus, a backdrop will be set up on the west wall of Summerhill for a special Queen鈥檚 Day photo opportunity. At the same time, a series of Queen鈥檚 Day frames and filters have been set up for Facebook and Snapchat.

鈥淭here is a great sense of pride within the Queen鈥檚 community 鈥 students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends,鈥 says Principal and Vice-Chancellor Patrick Deane. 鈥淨ueen鈥檚 has a very rich history of community engagement and reviving this celebration in the 21st century shows the evolution of our institution and the promise of a bright future.  I hope those who support Queen鈥檚 will join me in wearing the tricolor.鈥

Also on Queen鈥檚 Day, staff, faculty, and students wearing tricolour on campus will receive a 50 per cent discount on hot beverages (coffee, tea, hot chocolate) with their reusable mug in any size at Starbucks in Goodes Hall, Starbucks in Mitchell Hall, Goodes Caf茅, The Library Caf茅, Mac Corry, The Lazy Scholar, Location 21, Gord鈥檚 Fresh Caf茅, Student Street (West Campus), Tim Hortons in the Queen's Centre, Tim Hortons in the JDUC, and Tim Hortons in the Biosciences building.

Note: This article originally appeared in the Queen's Gazette.