Interview with Paulette Larade

by: Jeff Larade

1.Where did the Mi-Carême come from and how did it originate?

Paulette : From what I have heard, it started as a one-day event in the middle of Lent, sort of to give people a break from not eating any sweets & not partying. Today, it lasts a whole week; we eat and we have a great time all week long.

2. How do you associate the Mi-Carême with Mardi-Gras?

Paulette : I associate the Mi-Carême with Mardi-Gras by the way people dress in very colorful costumes and there’s always lots of food and music involved. Also, we look at Mardi-Gras as the last day to splurge on greasy (fatty) foods before Lent, and Mi-Carême is like the halfway mark during Lent; it’s like a break from not eating too many sweets, etc...and not partying too much.

3. Have you ever heard of or attended Mi-Carême elsewhere?

Paulette : I have heard of the Mi-Carême in Newfoundland where I think it is celebrated around Christmas.

4. What makes the St-Joseph-du-Moine/Chéticamp/Margaree Mi-Carême unique as compared with Mi-Carême elsewhere?

Paulette : I think it’s probably the only place where so many people are involved and where the tradition has been kept up to such a great extent and for so long.

5. Why has the Mi-Carême survived here and not in other Acadian communities?

Paulette : I think it is because the Chéticamp people are known to be very proud of their culture and also very good at having a good time with great music and great food. I guess in short, we know how to party!!!

6. What effect will informing the world about the Mi-Carême have on the festivity?

Paulette : I don’t think informing the world will have a big effect on the festivity except that it might increase participation, although not by that much because if the people don’t know each other, it wouldn’t be much fun for either person. It also generates their curiosity.

7. In your own words, what is the spark that keeps motivating everyone during the Mi-Carême?

Paulette : The spark that motivates everyone during the Mi-Carême is probably that everyone is kind of down from the cold weather, and the music and fun is one way of getting out of the winter blahs.

8. What is a runner/welcomer?

Paulette : Runners go from house to house in a costume and mask to try and fool people about who they are. They change their walk and their talk. A welcomer, is the person who opens his/her home to the mi-carêmes and tries to guess who they are. They always have food and music on hand and they dance and laugh and go along guessing the person the mi-carême is trying to be.

9. Do you prefer running or welcoming?

Paulette : I prefer welcoming the mi-carêmes.

10. Why did you choose to be a "welcomer"?

Paulette : I have been involved with welcoming the mi-carêmes since I was born. My parents always opened their home to them.

11. For how many years have you been welcoming the mi-carêmes?

Paulette : For over 30 years.

12. How many "runners" do you encounter during the 5 day festivities?

Paulette : The last years have been exceptional, with over 1000 "runners" throughout the week.

13. What type of music, if any, goes on during the Mi-Carême?

Paulette : The most common music for the Mi-Carême is the fiddle.

14. In your opinion, how have the costumes changed throughout the years?

Paulette : I think people put a lot more time on their costumes today than they did in the past when they would just throw an old blanket on their back and a pillowcase over their head. Now, there are all kinds of masks available as well as costumes to match. You can make your own or rent your outfits.

15. What changes, if any, have occurred over the years, to the Mi-Carême?

Paulette : There have been a lot of changes in the costumes, and like I said before, it has changed from one day to one week.

16. How has the addition of the center (LeMoine & Acadien) parties affected the Mi-Carême celebrations?

Paulette : I think it has gotten more people involved in the tradition, especially the younger generation. Also, it is the only place some people get to see any mi-carêmes. It gives a chance to everyone to come together as a group and have the social celebration and then allows for the individual homes to party during the week. The closing party is also a good idea because all great festivities must come to an end, and with everyone together we can celebrate the finish together.

17. Do you remember the Mi-Carême at a younger age? Describe your experiences.

Paulette : I remember at a very young age, probably 11/2 - 2 years old, I wouldn’t be scared of them, and I would sit on their laps. My parents would dress me up in a costume and take me with them from house to house.

18. Tell us your most memorable Mi-Carême story?

Paulette : My most memorable story of the Mi-Carême would have to be the night we were sitting around the house with my cat, Cookie, waiting for the mi-marêmes to arrive. We heard a knock on the door and our first set of guests arrived. I noticed that the cat was sitting in one of the chairs and that a mi-carême had no place to sit, so I yelled, "Cookie, get out of that chair!" Little did I know that one of the mi-carêmes was nick-named, Cookie, and she stood up all in a huff wondering how I had guessed it was her so fast. The rest of the mi-carêmes were laughing so hard they had to take their masks off. Everyone really had a good laugh that night.

Thank you for your participation in our project, Paulette.