If you were to share your favourite holiday tradition, what would it be? It could be making a wish on the turkey wishbone or leaving cookies out for Santa, or maybe even taking an icy plunge into a frozen Canadian lake on Christmas Day. Maybe it was something as simple as putting on the cassette tape or CD of The Barra MacNeils’s The Christmas Album. (Or better yet - see them live at the Jack Singer Concert Hall on November 24! Final tickets are on sale now.)
But whatever your favourite tradition is - if you’re not from the Canadian Maritimes, you’re probably missing out on some out-of-the-box rituals. Read on to discover three East Coast traditions that definitely bring a unique flair to the holiday season.
Chicken Bones
Everyone has a favourite Christmas treat. Maybe it’s brandy-filled chocolate beans or Christmas-coloured Hershey’s Kisses - but what about chicken bones? From a candy company in New Brunswick, these pink candies are a regional oddity, and to some residents, a favourite treat!
Mummering
Mummering might sound like something your relatives do a the dinner table that makes you say, “Speak up!” But, it is actually a regional Maritime tradition. Disguising themselves in face coverings and odd assortments of clothing, “mummers” go door to door greeting friends and family. It has its roots in Ireland and made its way over to Canada along with Irish settlers. Once welcomed into the house, the mummers often embark on an impromtu performance, telling jokes, dancing, or singing.
Belsnickeling
Anybody who’s a fan of The Office might have an idea about what this one’s about - but did you know some Nova Scotians take part? In its most basic explanation, Belsnickeling is similar to mummering and involves putting on Santa costumes and visiting neighbours jingling bells, all the while letting them guess your identity. It is believed this tradition, popular amongst the Pennsylvania Dutch communities, was brought to Nova Scotia through German immigrants in the 1750s. Although the existing popularity of this tradition has been infamously contested, there are still a select few who swear that it’s a thing.
Join Arts Commons Presents for The Barra MacNeils: An East Coast Christmas in the Jack Singer Concert Hall on Friday, November 24, 2023.
Courtney Groot
In one sentence, Courtney is a lover of learning, musicals, and adventures. In more detail, she is the Marketing and Communications Coordinator at Arts Commons. Courtney currently holds a Master's degree in Arts Leadership, and Bachelor’s degree in Communications for Cultural and Creative Industries. Having relocated to Calgary from the farming village of Zurich, Ontario, Courtney is thrilled to be within driving distance of the mountains, and walking distance of everything else.
