Well today I would like to read to you from my new book Acadia of the Maritimes, I find it to be very interesting. The following is an article by Father Anselme Chiasson, C.Cormier,D.Deschenes, and R.LaBelle.
Weddings of our ancestors;
The marriage having been agreed to and the date set, the parents of the bride and groom went to see the priest and made arrangements for the ceremony. There were no dowries as such in Acadie, but the bride's family, depending on their means, might give her a cow, sheep, quilts,sheets,towels and a spinning wheel. Winter was the ideal time for weddings because the seasonal work was done. In Cheticamp for example marriages usually took place on the Tuesday after Epiphany.In the early 19th century the bride and groom just wore their Sunday clothes, decorated with ribbons and cockades. The carriage which brought the couple to the church was also decorated with ribbons. The fashion of having the fathers of the bride and groom be the witnesses at the church is a recent one. In the past that role belonged to the maid of honor and a best man chosen by the couple. One old custom consisted of saluting the couple returning from the church with musket fire. Another custom was "stealing the bride". This was a mock kidnapping during which the young men of the village symbolically showed their opposition to the newlywed's new status.( I remember when I got married there were friends of my husband and me who tried to find us on the train, had they done so their plan was to kidnap me, whew , they never found us, we hid very well .smile)
Quite regularly if the groom was the youngest son, he and his bride stayed with his parents and inherited his father's property. Parents were considered elderly quite early at that time,around the age of 50. They continued to help their son and daughter in law in the house, on the land,and without fighting but handed over all responsibily and quite often title to the property,in exchange for the assurance of being looked after for the remaining years of their lives.
Can you imagine our kids thinking that at 50 we are "too old to cut the mustard? grin. I remember when I was 25 or 26 thinking gee I am not anxious to reach 40 that is old, when I reached forty I remember looking at my in laws and saying they were old, guess what ? I AM old. smile.
thank you for the visit ,do come again.
Have a great day
Aline