Description

If you happen to be travelling in an
Acadian community such as St. Edward,
Abram's Village, or Mont Carmel on a
certain March evening, and you meet
some oddly-dressed characters wearing
masks and armed with sticks, don't
panic! And, whatever you do, don't call
the cops! They probably are the "Mi-
Caremes" making their annual pilgrimage
around the countryside.
The Mi-Careme is a French tradition
once popular in all Island Acadian villages
and still alive in a few of them. This
custom marks the middle of Lent, hence
its name, Mi-Careme or "mid-Lent." As
the dates for this forty-day period of penance
and spiritual preparation vary from
year to year, the Mi-Careme event has
no fixed date. It is generally accepted on
the Island, however, that it lasts two
days, occurring on the fourth Wednesday
and Thursday following Mardi Gras.