To us, it's called Halloween, but to the Acadian population of Nova Scotia and elsewhere it's called la Mi-carême and it doesn't come at the end of October, but in the Spring during Lent.
Lent is a fasting period for the largely Catholic Acadians, but for week in the middle of the Lent they celebrate la Mi-carême where they dress up in outlandish costumes and elaborate handmade masks and go door to door for a brief period of fun, food, drink. The trick is not to be recognized by your neighbours, so the better the disguise, the better the chances of protecting your identity. There's plenty of laughter and lots of food and drink at every house.
Hundreds of these colourful masks are made and on display in Le Centre de la Mi-carême which recently opened in the Acadian community of Grand Etang on the Cabot Trail not far from Cheticamp.
The centre not only gives Acadian artisans a place to work and display their craft, but contains many exhibits related to la Me-carême and the Acadian Culture.
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