By paNOW

Tintamarre a celebration of Acadian tradition

Mar 20, 2018 | 6:00 PM

In 1955, during the 200-year celebration of the Expulsion of the Acadians, a Maritime Archbishop told families to kneel in outdoor prayer once the church bells began. Once the prayer was finished, he told residents to enter into a joyful tintamarre, featuring anything, everything and everyone that can make noise, shout and ring. 

The move was reported as a rebirth of the French-speaking Acadians, two centuries after it was supposed to have been extinguished.

Tintamarre stems from the French word “clangour” or “din” meaning noise. It was a practice to demonstrate vitality and solidarity. 

Harking back to this celebration, the Sociéte canadienne-française de Prince Albert (SCFPA) hosted the city’s first tintamarre. Hundreds of students and staff from various schools spilt into the streets waving flags and creating a proud ruckus with whistles, recorders and countless ad-hock noise makers.

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President of the SCFPA Michel Dubé said Tuesday’s events — which also fell on International Francophone Day — were a fun way for students to express themselves and share the French language.

“They are taught French and it is just good for them to realize they are learning French as a first or second language but they have to be able to use it,” he said. “We have a commonality.”

Prince Albert’s tintamarre was running in parallel with others in Moose Jaw and Gravelbourg. A friendly competition was planned with Moose Jaw to see who can gather a larger turnout, Dube said, as the Prince Albert Sociéte was inspired by that community, which hosted the first tintamarre in Saskatchewan last year. 

“[The French community] is here and have been here for 150 years,” he said. “We are all citizens and involved and we will just make ourselves known and have a good fun expression of noise.”

tyler.marr@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JournoMarr