Eh me son, hows you be gettin' on by?
The Canadian province of Newfoundland is situated on our eastern coast. It consists of a land mass connected to the mainland, a large, rugged island surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and over 7000 tiny islands. Newfoundland has a folk music heritage based on the Irish, English and Scottish traditions that were brought to its shores hundreds of years ago when Europeans arrived here in search of new lands. It has a a unique, vibrant culture, based on it's sea-faring, swash-buckling history. It's a hauntingly beautiful, sometimes stark, land full of strong, kind and independent folk who speak with their own fascinating dialect that folks from "away" ( the rest of Canada ) sometimes find difficult to understand.
They have a Christmas tradition based on similar traditions in Ireland and the UK, called Mumming. People disguise themselves with old articles of clothing, hats and shoes and visit the homes of their friends and neighbours. They cover their faces with a hood, mask or pillowcase to keep their identity hidden and men often dress as women and women as men. They pound on the door and yell, "Any Mummers allowed in?" Once inside they sing, dance and possibly partake in a drink of rum or whiskey while the hosts try to determine the identity of the visitors. Needless to say, there is a lot of laughter and boisterous fun and I am sure that the cold winter night is a little warmer after a visit from Mummers.
Here are some pictures :
http://www.google.ca/...
This video captures the spirit of the Mummers and Newfoundlanders in general :
And now I leave you with some advice as you might hear it in beautiful Newfoundland:
"Don't bleve nuttin' ya 'ears and only 'alf ya sees!"