New Brunswick, Acadia

In period houses, women are in the stoves to prepare the midday meal for the artisans and peasants who work.

It is with great pleasure that they tell the story of the inhabitants of the house, that they explain their various works in progress. At the end of the 3rd house, you have the impression of having stepped back in time, especially since you can take a seat at the Table des Anciens to taste dishes of yesteryear, acquire objects made ^by the tinsmith, the carpenter, the potter, the silk spinner…. Around the church, the forge, the carpentry, the printing press and the tavern, it is the story of the rebirth of a people proud of these origins which comes back to life. For two centuries, the Acadians knew how to bounce back and rebuild everything. A great story of survival!

This reconstruction, this fight to survive and revive its roots, takes its best illustration on August 15, Acadia's national holiday.

One of the biggest festivals that brings together thousands of Acadians every year, transforms the city of Caraquet into the capital of Acadia. This August 15, most of the houses display the tricolor colors and the golden star of Mary. “The blue-white-red of the French flag recalls our language and our culture, the star is the symbol of the Virgin Mary, the yellow the papal colors,” explains Aldo, a fervent defender of “his” Acadia. To European visitors, the yellow star reminds us of another painful story of extermination ...

Alain, the charming host of the Gîte du Poirier (lovely guest rooms in an “old England” style) is all set for the “din”.

Dressed in blue-white-red and armed with a saucepan and a wooden spoon, he is all set: are still there! You too must make noise to support us! "

Never mind ! Make noise, the French know how to make! Make-up in the appropriate colors, wearing headbands, bracelets and blue-white-red bracelets, carrying whistles and other noisy utensils, we reach the heart of Caraquet, once the longest village in the world (everyone has settled in the along the coast)! From everywhere, "blue-white-red" flock. This is because the celebration in Caraquet takes on a special character this year: the Prime Minister of Canada… .. He himself wishes to be present. Along with the other officials, he would like to salute the remarkable work of remembrance of the Acadians, urging them to always celebrate their culture as well as the French language.

After the moving interpretation of the national anthem, the bells of the church begin to ring full blast, giving the signal to the din: in a merry melee, the crowd sets in motion, parading in the main road in a incredible cacophony, made of saucepan, foghorns and other noisy utensils. In the crowd, a few characters stand out like those friends who, seen together, represent the national colors. Or that lobster woman. Without forgetting the sisters Lucille and Gisèle who, each year, surprise with new costumes. In the outfits of these charming ladies, blue-white-red is available in every detail, from the nails to the ankles!
Good humor is contagious.

Even New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant throws himself into the crowd, graciously lending himself to the many “selfies”.
August 15 being the pretext for the reunion of families, the party then continues in the houses. But also in restaurants and in the village hall. The next day, the voices are a little…. hoarse.