‘Hail, Caesar!’: Calgary woman launches campaign to change National Caesar Day

A Calgary woman is kicking off a campaign to change a little-known Canadian tradition.

Rachel Drinkle is out to tweak how some toast the unofficial start of summer.

Drinkle has launched an online petition to change the date of National Caesar Day.

The day celebrating the tomato/Clamato juice-based cocktail currently falls on the Thursday before the May long weekend. In 2024, that would be May 16.

But Drinkle argues on her petition that it makes more sense to hold National Caesar Day on the Sunday of the May long weekend.

“(Canadians) drink a lot of Caesars on Sundays,” Drinkle said.

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Drinkle is the owner of a Calgary liquor store called The Caesar Shop. She’s also the organizer of the annual Calgary Caesar Festival, also known as YYCaesarfest.

People wearing colouful costumes depicting a Caesar are sometimes seen at the festival.

Drew Riley and Darrell MacRae donned those costumes at Drinkle’s shop to help her promote her petition.

“We say Hail, Caesar!” Riley said. “Hail, Caesar Sunday!”

Drinkle says Calgary is the perfect place to launch her campaign promoting Caesar Sunday.

“Calgary is the home of the Caesar – it was invented here in 1969,” Drinkle said. “And it’s become Calgary’s greatest contribution to Canadian culture – some may disagree with me on that, but I think so.”

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