Mi-Careme Celebrations In Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
The origin of Mi-Carême is lost in the mists of time. It has been celebrated in many European communities since the Middle Ages.
The essence of the carnival-like Mi-Carême is a spirit of joy, laughter and mockery that contrasts with the Lenten period of austerity, severity and penance leading up to Easter. Lent begins the day after Ash Wednesday and ends the day before Easter. Mi-Carême literally means the middle of Lent.
The Mi-Carême tradition crossed the Atlantic Ocean with the first French-speaking settlers to the New World.
Although once practised in all Acadian communities, it is only still celebrated in the Acadian communities of Saint-Joseph-du-Moine, Magré and Chéticamp. This merry-making festivity now lasts one week.
During Mi-Carême many people, called les mi-carêmes, disguised from head to toe, visit their neighbours, who try to guess their identity.
When the guessing game is over, the mi-carêmes unmask and enjoy a treat before heading to their next destination where the game begins again.
The Mi-Carême Interpretative Centre located in the village of Grand-Étang, parish of Saint-Joseph-du-Moine in Inverness County, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada, is located a short distance from the world-renowned Cabot Trail.
This region is nestled between mountains that are part of the Appalachian Chain and the waters of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. The four distinct seasons enjoyed here offer a great number of activities