Category:Levées (event)

English: The levée is a New Year's social event in Canada hosted by the Governor General of Canada, the lieutenant governors, military establishments, municipalities and other institutions. The levée in Great Britain and Ireland had been a formal court reception given by the sovereign or their representative in the forenoon or early afternoon. It was in Canada that the levée became associated with New Year's Day. The first recorded levée in Canada was held on January 1, 1646, in the Chateau St. Louis by Charles Huault de Montmagny, Governor of New France from 1636 to 1648. Today, levées are the receptions (usually, but not necessarily, on New Year's Day) held by the governor general, the lieutenant governors of the provinces, the military and others, to mark the start of another year and to provide an opportunity for the public to pay their respects. It is an occasion for members of the public to call upon their representatives and to exchange New Year's greetings and best wishes for the new year.