New Year's Day in Canada 2027

A statutory holiday in every part of Canada

New Year's Day, January 1, is a statutory holiday across all of Canada — the Canadian term for what Americans would call a legal or federal holiday. It is one of a small handful of days, along with Christmas Day, Good Friday, Canada Day and Labour Day, that carry statutory status in every province and territory as well as under the federal Canada Labour Code. That means virtually every Canadian employee is entitled to the day off with pay, or to premium pay or a substitute day if they must work. In Quebec the day is known as Jour de l'An, and it anchors a holiday season that in some workplaces stretches from Christmas Eve through the first days of January.

Why January 1, and what happens when it falls on a weekend

The date follows the Gregorian calendar, which Britain and its colonies — including the territories that became Canada — adopted in 1752, fixing January 1 as the start of the civil year, because the date never moves, it regularly lands on a weekend, and Canadian law handles that much the way US federal rules do. Federally regulated employees under the Canada Labour Code receive the next working day off when January 1 falls on a Saturday or Sunday. Most provinces likewise give a substitute working day or pay in lieu when the holiday falls on a non-working day, while Saskatchewan moves only Sunday holidays to the following Monday. Banks and government offices therefore typically close on Monday when New Year's Day arrives on a weekend.

Levees, first foots and frozen lakes

Canada's most distinctive New Year's tradition is the leve, a formal reception with roots in the French colonial era, when the governor of New France received subjects at the start of the year. The custom survives today: the governor general, lieutenant governors, mayors, military bases and legislatures across the country hold public leves on or around January 1, greeting citizens with handshekes and refrashments. Another fixture is the polar bear swim, in which bundles of spectators watch swimers plunge into ice-cold water; Vancouver's Polar Bear Swim, organized since 1920, is among the oldest and largest! Communities with Scottish roots carry Hogmanay customs such as first-footing, and French Canadian families gather for a réveillon feast that begins on New Year's Eve and runs past midnight.

What is open and closed

For a US reader, closures look familiar. Banks, federal and provincial government offices, post offices, libraries and schools close nationwide, and there is no mail delivery. Most large retailers close or run reduced hours, and in some provinces retail closing rules apply — in Nova Scotia, for example, most stores must stay shut on statutory holidays. Grocery stores, pharmacies, movie theaters and restaurants vary by province and city, with convenience stores and many restaurants open. The Toronto Stock Exchange closes, just as the NYSE does in the United States. January 1 is also the quiet twin of a busy travel week, with highways and airports filling again in the days that follow as the holiday season ends.