Tintamarre Island
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''Tintamarre'' is an
Acadia Acadia (french: link=no, Acadie) was a colony of New France in northeastern North America which included parts of what are now the The Maritimes, Maritime provinces, the Gaspé Peninsula and Maine to the Kennebec River. During much of the 17t ...
n tradition of marching through one's community making noise with improvised instruments and other noisemakers, usually in celebration of
National Acadian Day The National Acadian Day (french: Fête nationale de l'Acadie) is observed in parts of Canada each year on August 15, to celebrate Acadian culture. It was during the first National Convention of the Acadians held at Memramcook, New Brunswick, in ...
. The term originates from the
Acadian French Acadian French (french: français acadien, acadjonne) is a variety of French spoken by Acadians, mostly in the region of Acadia, Canada. Acadian French has 7 regional accents, including chiac and brayon. Phonology Since there was relatively li ...
word meaning "clangour" or "din". The practice is intended to demonstrate the vitality and solidarity of Acadian society, and to remind others of the presence of
Acadians The Acadians (french: Acadiens , ) are an ethnic group descended from the French who settled in the New France colony of Acadia during the 17th and 18th centuries. Most Acadians live in the region of Acadia, as it is the region where the de ...
. It originated in the mid-twentieth century, likely inspired by an ancient French folk custom.


History

Tintamarre is a recent tradition established by people of Acadian descent in Canada in the mid-20th century, although it is believed to have been inspired by the ancient French folk custom of ''
Charivari Charivari (, , , alternatively spelled shivaree or chivaree and also called a skimmington) was a European and North American folk custom in which a mock parade was staged through a community accompanied by a discordant mock serenade. Since the cro ...
''. In 1955, during the commemorations of the 200th anniversary of the
Expulsion of the Acadians The Expulsion of the Acadians, also known as the Great Upheaval, the Great Expulsion, the Great Deportation, and the Deportation of the Acadians (french: Le Grand Dérangement or ), was the forced removal, by the British, of the Acadian peo ...
, the Archbishop of Moncton, Norbert Robichaud, circulated an instruction sheet for the marking of the event. He advised families to kneel in outdoor prayer once the
church bell A church bell in Christian architecture is a bell which is rung in a church for a variety of religious purposes, and can be heard outside the building. Traditionally they are used to call worshippers to the church for a communal service, and to ...
s began to ring, and he wrote:
René Lévesque René Lévesque (; August 24, 1922 – November 1, 1987) was a Québécois politician and journalist who served as the 23rd premier of Quebec from 1976 to 1985. He was the first Québécois political leader since Confederation to attempt ...
, a
Radio-Canada The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the government. ...
journalist, was in Moncton covering the commemoration of the Acadian deportation, and described the ''tintamarre'' in his report: In 1979, the ''Société Nationale des Acadiens'' sought to revive the Tintamarre for the celebrations in
Caraquet, New Brunswick Caraquet ( ) is a town in Gloucester County, New Brunswick, Canada. Situated on the shore of Chaleur Bay in the Acadian Peninsula, its name is derived from the Mi'kmaq term for ''meeting of two rivers''. The Caraquet River and Rivière du Nord ...
of the 375th anniversary of the founding of Acadia. Organizers urged celebrants to reaffirm their Acadian identity loudly and clearly, so as to emphasize the slogan of the celebrations: ''On est venus c'est pour rester'' ("We've come back and we're here to stay"). In 1980, although there were no official efforts to organize any noisemaking, spontaneous Tintamarres were reported in Caraquet and in other Acadian communities in New Brunswick. By 1984, area newspapers noted discussions of holding "traditional Tintamarres" to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the
Flag of Acadia The flag of Acadia is a symbolic flag representing the Acadian community of Canada. It was adopted on 15 August 1884, at the Second Acadian National Convention held in Miscouche, Prince Edward Island, by nearly 5,000 Acadian delegates from ac ...
, even though the "tradition" was only a few decades old. The Tintamarre held during the 2009 ''Festival acadien'' in Caraquet involved 40,000 participants.


Acadian symbol

Along with the Acadian flag and the hymn ''
Ave Maris Stella "Ave maris stella" (Latin for 'Hail, star of the sea') is a medieval Marian hymn, usually sung at Vespers. It was especially popular in the Middle Ages and has been used by many composers as the basis of other compositions. Background Authorship ...
'', the Tintamarre has become widely recognized as an Acadian symbol. It has become an important part of National Acadian Day celebrations in Canada and of any other events affirming Acadian identity and accomplishments. In 2006, a Tintamarre was held to help inaugurate a new medical training program at the
Université de Moncton The Université de Moncton is a Canadian francophone university in New Brunswick. It includes campuses in Edmundston, Moncton, and Shippagan. The university was founded in 1963 following the recommendations of the royal commission on highe ...
; when asked why noisemaking had been included in an academic event, organizers explained that the Tintamarre was "an essential Acadian custom". A number of communities in Atlantic Canada, including Bouctouche, Moncton, Summerside,
Caraquet Caraquet ( ) is a town in Gloucester County, New Brunswick, Canada. Situated on the shore of Chaleur Bay in the Acadian Peninsula, its name is derived from the Mi'kmaq term for ''meeting of two rivers''. The Caraquet River and Rivière du Nor ...
, Clare and Chéticamp, hold annual Tintamarres, with the provincial governments of both
New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
and
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...
promoting these events as tourist attractions. The tradition has extended beyond Acadia, with Tintamarres being held to celebrate the Franco-Ontarian community in
Hawkesbury, Ontario Hawkesbury is a Franco-Ontarian city in Prescott-Russell county in Eastern Ontario, Canada. The vast majority of its 10,550 inhabitants are francophone. The Long-Sault Bridge links it to Grenville, Quebec to the north. This bridge, crossing ...
, to launch the annual "Semaine de la Francophonie" in
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
, and to mark Acadian Week in the town of Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer,
Calvados Calvados (, , ) is a brandy from Normandy in France, made from apples or pears, or from apples with pears. History In France Apple orchards and brewers are mentioned as far back as the 8th century by Charlemagne. The first known record of Nor ...
,
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
. A Tintamarre was held on the Saint Leonard – Van Buren International Bridge on the Canada–United States border as part of the 2014 Acadian World Congress, which took place in the border counties of Aroostook in Maine, Témiscouata in Quebec, and
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...
, Madawaska and Restigouche in New Brunswick. The largest tintamarre parade is actually held in Bouctouche, New Brunswick, while in Caraquet, New Brunswick people gather in the streets to make noise, making more like a “foire” meaning a fair or festival.


References


External links

*Watc
''Tintamarre - On the Trail of Acadians in North America''
a 2004 documentary film by André Gladu,
National Film Board of Canada The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; french: Office national du film du Canada (ONF)) is Canada's public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary f ...
{{Acadia Acadian culture Canadian traditions North American folk music Noise