Cape Breton's Magazine

Chandeleur, a Feast of the Candles Marguerite Gallant, La Pointe: And something else they used to celebrate which they don't now is something they called the Chandeleur, when they bless the candles. Oh, it used to be a great feast. You should have seen what they called la cane de la Chandeleur • it was a big staff • oh, it must have been about eight feet. And it had a crook in it. And the man that carried that cane was in full dress, and in the olden time they had shoes • they used to call them little red-topped boots • it had a sort of heart design. It would be handmade, the red top. It was beautiful, more like chamois. He had on an evening coat, a split-tailed coat and everythisig. And a lovely handmade shirt. Oh, I remember the beautiful linen they used to weave on the loom. And there was a song we'd sing: "Nous sommes les gens de la Chandeleur/Si vous-vou- lez nous donner de quoi/Si vous foumissez votts y viendrez/Si vous foumissez pas vous viendra pas." There were all kinds of songs and dances. It was a kind of an Indian soiig and a kind of Russian dance: first they'd go and tap their feet, and after their knee down and their backside down on the grotmd. And the man there would have his cane all decorated with ribbons and lace, and there would be eyes you'd put the ribbon through and make a bow knot. And the Chandeleur • they used to have two or three carts, and every house they went maybe one would give a chicken, one give a great big chunk of meat, maybe somebody would give a whole lot of flour and raisins and lard and what have you. And then they'd take that to the lower end of the island there, to a big house. And they'd cook it there. And as long as there was food there they'd eat and drink and dance. Joe Delaney, St. Joseph du Moine: Take the Chandeleur my brother and I were playing down there at Marcellin Charlo Doucet's at Ruisseau du Lac in about 1934. That was one of the last ones in the district. We were playing violin. We started at 3:00 in the afternoon and we finished the next day at 11:30 in the morning. At that time no? body 'd hire you. What they used to do, about four times during the night they'd pass the hat, taking up a collection for the fiddlers. We were on the kitchen table play? ing • and all you had was a break for supper and a break for lunch and a break for breakfast • and then somebody'd be after you, "Come on let's go. Let's get the music CAPB BRETON'S MAGAZINE, NUMBER TEN WRECK COVB, CAPE BRETON, NOVA SCOTIA SECOND CLASS MAIL • REGISTRATION NUMBER 3014