We pack a lot into the pages of every issue of Kayak, but there’s always more great stuff we just can’t fit in. So join Teeka and Beau, our otter mascots, to find out more about the theme of each issue, or just pick up some random bits of Canadian history.

Celebrating A New Year

What are your New Year’s Eve traditions?

Some people kiss a loved one; others open the door to let the new year in. For 400 years, people from different parts of the world have been bringing with them different ways to celebrate, from repaying money they owe to burning scarecrows to making sure a friend is the first to come through the door in the new year. You can read about those and more here.

And if you want to make a noisemaker to celebrate your own New Year’s Eve, check out this video:



On New Year’s Day, you can take part in another old Canadian tradition by going to a levee — a reception held by mayors, the provinces’ lieutenant governors, military leaders and more. These levees go back to 1646, when the first one in Canada was held in Quebec City by the first governor of New France, Charles Huault de Montmagny.