Q. You’ve seen their plush paws and bountiful bottoms perched on benches in Saltzburg, scooters in Ho Chi Minh City, and fjord-side in Flåm. With the world being what it is, is it any wonder that adults are bringing their stuffies with them on vacation? Do your plushies have airline

Q. Happy Hockey Day! To celebrate, each of the seven Canadian teams in the NHL have games today. How serious are we Canadians about our hockey? . A. Easy answer: Canadians are extremely serious about their hockey. In a February 2025 Rogers survey of 1,015 Canadians: 78% said that hockey

Q. We know that Vancouver’s public library system is popular. Last year, they clocked ~ 6.5 million visits. Which books were most borrowed in 2025? . A. We’ll start with Young Adult/Teen books, where fantasy dominated. Top 10 Most-Borrowed Young Adult/Teen Books. VPL. 2025 i.    A Court of Thorns

Q. January may be the month we are most virtuous in our eating habits. But, which food trends seem to be on their way in for 2026 as a whole? . A. After scouring current research findings – from Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok trends to wide-spanning polls – BBC Food

Q. It’s that time. Lake Superior State University has – for the 50th year – gathered nominations from around the world. Their focus? English words so annoying or overused that they should be banished. Which words are rankling in 2026? . A. 2026 Banished Words List. Lake Superior University i.  

Q. Happy 2026! All hopes for a healthy, peaceful, prosperous, joy-filled New Year 🙏🏼. As we consider celebratory bouquets for friends, family, or ourselves: which flowers might be considered auspicious for this new beginning? . A. When it comes to assigning meaning to flowers, the Victorians get the bay wreath.

Q. What travel trends can we expect from Canadians in 2026? . A. How do you feel about nestling into some home-style accommodations in Italy? Or Japan? Travelsavers polled their advisors about the travel trends they are seeing for we Canadians in 2026. What did their on-the-ground experiences show them?

Q. Merry Christmas! Have you sung any carols yet this Christmas? Which are your favourites? . A. To mark Christmas Day, Classic FM has tallied the results of their cross-UK ‘Favourite Carol’ poll. The winner? ‘O Holy Night’, which was composed by French composer Adolphe Adam in 1847. Classic FM

Q. Happy Christmas Eve! What are some striking paintings associated with Christmas? . A. Jean Hey. The Annunciation. 1490-05 . Leonardo da Vinci. Annunciation. 1472 . Sandro Botticelli. The Annunciation. 1489-90 . Philippe de Champaigne. The Dream of St. Joseph. 1642-43 . José Campeche y Jordán. La Natividad. 1799 .

Q. Happy Winter Solstice. Perhaps you, too, ventured out into the cold: a rainy walk by the ocean, a snowy hike up a wooded trail. The best way to cap off the day? A hot drink by a crackling fire. What’s your go-to hot winter drink? . A. We can