Acadian: Encyclopedia II - Acadian - Culture

Acadian - Culture

Today Acadians are a vibrant minority, particularly in New Brunswick and Maine.

Notable Acadians include singers Angèle Arsenault and Edith Butler, writer Antonine Maillet, boxer Yvon Durelle, pitcher Rheal Cormier, former Governor General Roméo LeBlanc, former New Brunswick premier Louis Robichaud, who was the first Acadian premier and who was responsible for modernizing education and the government of New Brunswick in the mid-20th century.

August 15, the feast of the Assumption, is the national feast day of the Acadians. The flag of the Acadians is the French tricolour with a golden star in the blue field, which symbolizes the Blessed Virgin Mary, the "Star of the Sea". The national anthem of the Acadians is "Ave, maris stella". On that day, the Acadians celebrate by having the tintamarre which consists mainly of a big parade where people can dress up with the colours of Acadia and make a lot of noise.

In 2004, a Congrès mondial acadien was held in Nova Scotia to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first French-speaking settlers in Canada. Musical festivals and theatrical productions displayed Acadian culture, and academics debated the meaning of Acadia in the 21st century. Debates included the best ways of preserving Acadian culture in an overwhelmingly English area, and what exactly an Acadian is in 2004. Some Acadians do not recognize more recent immigrants as true Acadians, although most people accept any French-speaking Maritimer as an Acadian.

Acadian - Language

Acadians speak a dialect of French called Acadian French. Many of those in the Moncton area speak Chiac and English.

Acadian - Legend

The American folklore hero, Paul Bunyan, is believed by some to have been influenced if not inspired by Acadian stories about lumberjacks.

Acadian - The Expulsion in literature

In 1847 an epic poem by American writer Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Evangeline, was loosely based on the events surrounding the 1755 deportation. The poem became an American classic.

Robbie Robertson wrote a popular song based on the Acadian Expulsion titled "Acadian Driftwood" that appeared on The Band's 1975 album, Northern Lights — Southern Cross.

Antonine Maillet's Pélagie-la-charette concerns the return voyage to Acadia of several deported families starting 15 years after the Great Expulsion.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Culture", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki