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Tintamarre
< French tintamarre
DCHP-2 (May 2013)
Spelling variants:tintamarre
n. — Maritime Provinces, especially Nova Scotia, Social customs
a noisy procession celebrating Acadian culture.
Type: 4. Culturally Significant — The term is a French loanword, with its first attestation in British English from 1567 (see OED-3, s.v. "tintamarre"). Barber (2007: 75) lists the term as part of the Acadian legacy and its cultural relevance for the Acadians is undisputed. Acadia was French territory that covered what is now Cape Breton (northern Nova Scotia), Prince Edward Island, most of New Brunswick and parts of Quebec and Maine. Beginning in 1755, the Acadians were forcibly exiled by the British, many to what is now Louisiana, where they came to be called "Cajuns". After France and Britain made peace in 1764, many Acadians returned to the Maritimes. The tradition was revived in 1955 and is part of National Acadian Day celebrations on 15 August (see the 2013 quotation) . The term tintamarre is most prevalent in Canada (see Chart 1).
See also COD-2, s.v. "tintamarre", which is marked "Cdn".
See also COD-2, s.v. "tintamarre", which is marked "Cdn".
Quotations
1986
It's the first time Tintamarre will be heard in the Ottawa area, said festival chairman Charles de Blois.
1994
They marked Monday's holiday with the banging of pots and pans, a noisy tradition known as "tintamarre'' that is meant to remind the English that they exist.
1999
La Societe francophone de Victoria pays tribute to the Acadian people with an open mass, Acadian pot-luck dinner and their famous Tintamarre, when everyone brings the songs, dances and joie de vivre to the streets, starting at 5 p.m., at Windsor Park Pavilion in Oak Bay.
2004
Surprise tintamarres will erupt at the park throughout the day to help celebrate this year's theme, the 400-year anniversary of the founding of Acadie. A tintamarre is a loud, jubilant noise so everyone is encouraged to let loose.
2008
Citizens concerned about the scrapping of early French immersion are planning a rally and "tintamarre" at King's Square in Saint John today at noon.
2013
Tintamarres have been adopted into modern Acadian culture to represent the joie de vivre of the Acadian people and to show pride in their heritage. While they used to be a means of warning of an enemy force, or even to show displeasure about an event in the community, they are now strictly a means of celebration. The first modern tintamarre took place in Moncton in 1955 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Acadian deportation in 1755. Tintamarres really caught on with New Brunswick francophones starting in Caraquet in 1979 when the event started being used as a kickoff to a huge annual street party to celebrate Acadian Day, according to the website, Encyclopedia of French Cultural Heritage in North America.
2016
She noted the school will put an emphasis on culture in its curriculum during the week and recreational events, such as coasting and skating, are "things the Acadians would have been doing back in the day." "And we try to use traditions," Doiron added. "The tradition of the Tintamarre - a parade kind of thing where you go through the community banging pots and pans and making noise and stuff ... it's an old tradition incorporated into the parade."
References
- OED-3
- COD-2
- Barber (2007)
Images
Image 1: The Tintamarre during National Acadia Day, Caraquet, NB, 2009. Source: Wikimedia Commons. Photo: Kevin
