The Frenzy of Mi-Carème is at our doors! Indeed, the tradition that goes back to the beginning of the 19th century at the Magdalen Islands is in full swing these days. Once again, it is possible to feel all the frenzy which inhabits the village of Fatima, and a good number of citizens who come from the four corners of the Islands, to join them for these three days of of colorful festivities. At the dawn of this period of amusement, here is a brief portrait of this tradition celebrated here among us. The illustreous artist Gilles Vigneault, a native of Natashquan (on the North Coast of Quebec, and one of the places where Mi-Carême is still celebrated in Quebec), describes this feast as being “a game all done in mimed charades, a real board game of society.” In fact, this festival was not always focused on breathtaking costumes as we know it today. When it began to be celebrated, shortly after the arrival at the Islands in 1793, Rev. Jean-Baptiste Allain and about 200 Acadians and St-Pierrais with him, used all the “rags” which were discarded from the making of clothes to create costumes for this celebration. Today, while the values and traditions remain essentially the same, they are helped by a real parade of works of art, while certain Madelinot descendants have become masters in the making of these wacky costumes. Of course, in spite of certain changes in the culture of the festival, the fact remains that the warm basics of this celebration are still well established and that is why at the end of this month several small groups of disguised and masked people will once again make the tour of the houses of Fatima, identified as houses welcoming the “mi-carêmeux” (or mid-Lenters). And once again it will be a challenge to guess who is hidden behind the masks, all ending with a little glass of beer or “bagosse” and certainly several songs. Moreover, did you know that the festivities did not always take place over three days? Although it may seem surprising, it was not until the 1960s that Mi-Carême ran for more than a day. Last but not least, the tradition on our archipelago is another peculiarity, because, thanks to our rich musical heritage, Mi-Carême in the Islands is one of the most festive places to hum a few good choruses! In addition to Fatima and Natashquan, Mi-Carême is also celebrated at Cheticamp on Cape Breton Island. These three places continue a great and ancient Acadian tradition. Several videos posted by Micheline Cyr accompany the article (in French) is at the following (be sure to click on your sound) to accompany these great videos of various groups of costumes: http://www.ilesdelamadeleine.com/2017/03/la-frrrrrenesie-de-la-mi-careme-est-a-nos-portes/ This is part of my Acadian heritage, and I'm glad to share it with you. Enjoy, Dennis

Thank you Dennis! Awesome history! I know this is one of the traditions my Grandma grew up w in the 'Acadian village' of Stephenville (long before the Americans built Harmon air base and the airport) ;) and before that it was Cape Breton/ Cheticamp ! Thanks so much for sharing it! Claudine Purdue Sent from my iPhone > On Mar 23, 2017, at 7:38 PM, madelinot22--- via ACADIAN <acadian@rootsweb.com> wrote: > > > > > The Frenzy of Mi-Carème is at our doors! > > > > Indeed, the tradition that goes back to the beginning of the 19th century at the Magdalen Islands is in full swing these days. Once again, it is possible to feel all the frenzy which inhabits the village of Fatima, and a good number of citizens who come from the four corners of the Islands, to join them for these three days of of colorful festivities. > > > > At the dawn of this period of amusement, here is a brief portrait of this tradition celebrated here among us. The illustreous artist Gilles Vigneault, a native of Natashquan (on the North Coast of Quebec, and one of the places where Mi-Carême is still celebrated in Quebec), describes this feast as being “a game all done in mimed charades, a real board game of society.” In fact, this festival was not always focused on breathtaking costumes as we know it today. When it began to be celebrated, shortly after the arrival at the Islands in 1793, Rev. Jean-Baptiste Allain and about 200 Acadians and St-Pierrais with him, used all the “rags” which were discarded from the making of clothes to create costumes for this celebration. Today, while the values and traditions remain essentially the same, they are helped by a real parade of works of art, while certain Madelinot descendants have become masters in the making of these wacky costumes. > > > > Of course, in spite of certain changes in the culture of the festival, the fact remains that the warm basics of this celebration are still well established and that is why at the end of this month several small groups of disguised and masked people will once again make the tour of the houses of Fatima, identified as houses welcoming the “mi-carêmeux” (or mid-Lenters). And once again it will be a challenge to guess who is hidden behind the masks, all ending with a little glass of beer or “bagosse” and certainly several songs. > > > > Moreover, did you know that the festivities did not always take place over three days? Although it may seem surprising, it was not until the 1960s that Mi-Carême ran for more than a day. Last but not least, the tradition on our archipelago is another peculiarity, because, thanks to our rich musical heritage, Mi-Carême in the Islands is one of the most festive places to hum a few good choruses! > > > In addition to Fatima and Natashquan, Mi-Carême is also celebrated at Cheticamp on Cape Breton Island. These three places continue a great and ancient Acadian tradition. > > > Several videos posted by Micheline Cyr accompany the article (in French) is at the following (be sure to click on your sound) to accompany these great videos of various groups of costumes: > > > http://www.ilesdelamadeleine.com/2017/03/la-frrrrrenesie-de-la-mi-careme-est-a-nos-portes/ > > > This is part of my Acadian heritage, and I'm glad to share it with you. > > > Enjoy, Dennis > > > > > . > ------------------------------- > To check our Archive > http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/acadian/ > ------------------------------- > To subscribe to the list, please send an email to ACADIAN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'subscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message. You will receive a confirmation e-mail to try & stop "machine" enrollment spam. Give it the "Name" you would like us to call you. > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ACADIAN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message