Amanda Zurawski, 35, was 18 weeks pregnant when she noticed something was wrong - but she was forced to wait three days until she was sick enough for medics to perform an abortion.
She has kept up the tradition of leveeing ever since. I ve gone to them every year, she said. It s wonderful to see the people that turn out. It s just a cross-section of Islanders in a great way. A privilege
The levee is an annual gathering held on New Year s Day. It comes from the French
lever, which means to lift or rise.
For many, the custom of travelling from place to place on Jan. 1 shaking hands and enjoying refreshments signals the start of a new year. As the French name suggests, the levee has its origins in the elaborate morning rituals of the monarch. To be privy to this portion of the monarch s day was a privilege, UPEI history Prof. Ed MacDonald said in an email.