New Year's Day in Canada: Federal and Provincial Holiday Rules and the Levee Tradition

New Year's Day falls on Friday, January 1, 2027. It is one of the 10 general holidays in the Canada Labour Code and a public holiday under provincial law, so it is one of the few days off that most of the country shares.

Christmas Day and Boxing Day come one week earlier, so the end of December and the start of January bring three holidays close together.

Federal or provincial: who decides the holiday

Canada has two layers of holiday rules. The Canada Labour Code lists 10 general holidays for people who work for federally regulated employers, and New Year's Day is the first one on the list. The others are Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Thanksgiving Day, Remembrance Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Most other workers follow the employment standards law of their own province or territory. Ontario's Employment Standards Act has nine public holidays and Quebec has its own list. The two lists differ in many ways, but both include January 1.

The Canada Revenue Agency also counts New Year's Day as a public holiday. It points out that several provinces and territories have holidays of their own, so a tax due date can depend on where you live.

The New Year's levee, a Canadian tradition since 1646

On January 1, lieutenant governors and other hosts across Canada open their doors for a levee, a reception where visitors come to exchange greetings for the new year.

The word comes from the court of Louis XIV in 17th-century France, where a few guests were received as the king started his day. The Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan explains that in Canada the custom became tied to New Year's Day because that was the day fur traders paid their respects to the government's representatives.

The first recorded levee in Canada took place on January 1, 1646, at the Château St. Louis, hosted by Charles Huault de Montmagny, Governor of New France. In what is now Saskatchewan, the first New Year's levee was held in 1884, and in 1902 it was opened to the public.

Into the cold water: the Polar Bear Swim

In Vancouver, the year starts with a plunge. Swimmers have been running into the water at English Bay every New Year's Day since 1920, when Peter Pantages started the Polar Bear Swim. The event is hosted by the Vancouver Park Board.

If you plan to take part, check the Park Board's page for the start time, registration and safety rules, which are posted ahead of each swim.