Q.
Happy National Hobby Month ♟️ Which hobbies are captivating us right now?

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A.

We’ll start in Canada, where Statista has surveyed 12,946 Canadian adults on their favourite hobbies…

Top Hobbies & Activities in Canada. 2025
i.    Cooking + Baking
i.    Reading
iii.  Outdoor Activities
iii.  Travelling
v.    Spending Time with Pets
vi.   Video gaming
vii.  Shopping
viii. Socializing
ix.   Board + Card Games

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Meanwhile, National Rail polled 2,000 UK adults about the hobbies they intend to pursue in 2026. What topped their list?

Top 10 UK Hobbies for 2026
i.     Reading
ii.    Learning a new language
iii.   Baking
iv.   Gardening
v.     Yoga
vi.    Photography
vii.   Meditation
viii.  Film watching
ix.    Creative writing
x.     Running

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Reading reigns supreme in both the Canadian and UK lists. How have renowned artists captured readers as they battle dragons, resist rakes, and peel through lies?

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Anonymous. A Man Reading. 1660

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Johannes Vermeer. Woman Reading a Letter. 1663

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François Boucher. Portrait of Madame de Pompadour. 1756

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Jean Honoré Fragonard. Young Girl Reading. 1769

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Cornelis Kruseman. Old Woman Reading. 1820-33

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Joseph Désiré Court. Saint Clare. 1838

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Augustus Leopold Egg. The Travelling Companions. 1862

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Augustus Leopold Egg. The Love Letter. 1863

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Albert Bartholomé. The Artist’s Wife. 1883

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Pierre-August Renoir. Two Girls Reading. ~1890-1891

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Ramon Casas. Jove Decadent. 1899

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Edward Hopper. Compartment Car. 1938

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Richard Diebenkorn. Girl on the Beach. 1957

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Jacob Lawrence. The Library. 1960

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Richard Diebenkorn. Seated Figure With Hat. 1967

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Antonio Sicurezza. Young Man Reading. 1970

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Kerry James Marshall. SOB, SOB. 2003

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www.justcurious.ca

Header Art: Ambrosius Benson. The Magdalen Reading. 1520