Author; George Arsenault
The rich traditions associated with Mi-Car’me or Mid-Lent are firmly anchored in the folkways of Acadian communities. To celebrate Mi-Car’me, people visited each other’s homes dressed up in masks and costumes. In the midst of the merrymaking, a mysterious character called the Mi-Car’me gave candies to little children and sometimes even delivered babies. But this strange individual scared many young Acadians because they feared he would take them away if they misbehaved.
Today, Acadians still put on their masks and costumes to go visiting for the annual Mi-Car’me celebrations in communities across Eastern Canada. Acadian Mi-Careme: Masks and Merrymaking traces the origins of this tradition, highlights modern-day celebrations, and looks at the role it still plays in Acadian culture.
