Things Canadian -- What the Heck is A New Years Levee?

In Canada a traditional New Years Day social event is a Levee. Originally held by the Governor-General, Lieutenant-Governors, Military establishments etc they were attended exclusively by men. It was during WW2 when female military officers started attending Levees that they became open to all.

Historical Origins

The practice of a Levee dates back to King Louis XIV and his practice of receiving his male subjects upon rising in the morning. The word Levee is derived from the Latin word ‘levāre’- to rise. The practice spread across Europe.

In Great Britain and Ireland by the 18th century the Levee was a formal court reception. When it was brought to Canada the local governor or military commander acted on behalf of the sovereign.

The association with New Years Day was a Canadian twist to the Levee. It finds its roots in the fur traders coming to pay their respects to the master of the fort on New Years Day. The master of the fort was their government representative.

This was adopted by the Governor-General and Lieutenant-Governors of the provinces. The first recorded Levee was in 1646 under the then French Governor of New France. The Levee was an opportunity to bring news of the homeland to the settlers and for the settlers to renew their allegiance to the crown.

A Canadian Tradition

The New Years Levee has become an almost solely Canadian tradition. In addition to the more formal Levees many municipalities and cities hold a Mayor’s Levee as do military bases and Legions across the country.

Anyone can attend. They provide an opportunity to meet and greet officials and friends. To share some time together on the first day of the year. Food, drink and even entertainment is made available for the afternoon.

My Local Traditions

In the community I live in, the Legion is where the Levee traditionally takes place. In the last twenty years or so the Legion President extends an invitation to the Township Mayor and council to join the Legion Executive to greet those who attend the Levee. Formally, it is called the President’s Levee.

In times past it was the responsibility of the Branch President to prepare and serve the “President’s punch”, a rather potent brew. The recipe was passed to each incoming President.

As people became more aware of drinking and driving many passed on imbibing any more than a small amount of the brew and the tradition has been set aside. Wine is made available for guests to have and the bar is open but people are reminded about drinking and driving. A spread of food is laid out and everyone is welcome to take part.

Things Canadian in 2017

2017 kicks off Canada’s 150th birthday as a nation. As part of my personal observation of this event, I plan on posting about Canada, my country. It is my goal to make 150 “Things Canadian” posts. This is the first, just 149 to go :)

This is the official logo for Canada 150. The logo is composed of a series of diamonds, or “celebratory gems”, arranged in the shape of the iconic maple leaf. The four diamonds at the base represent the four original provinces that formed Confederation in 1867: Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Additional diamonds extend out from the base to create nine more points—in total representing the 13 provinces and territories. Source

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