Merry Old Christmas and Happy Nalujuk Night!

This is it, the last day of the Christmas season in Newfoundland and Labrador.  After today you can take down your tree and stop mummering. But chances are there is still one big party left to go to tonight, somewhere (I'll be at one!)

One of my favourite Old Christmas Day customs is from the north coast of Labrador, where today is the day the Nalujuit come out to see who has been good, and punish those who haven't. For those of you who don't know what a Nalujuk is, they are related to mummers and janneys, but slightly more bad-ass! Like mummering on the island, the tradition seems to be enjoying something of a revival. You can learn a bit more about nalujuit below:

• Nalujuk Night on Facebook
• Nalujuit on the Mummers Festival website
• 2010 CBC Labrador Morning interview about Old Christmas  (direct MP3 link here)

Finding your way on the Baccalieu Trail: A Google Map Workshop

The Intangible Cultural Heritage Office is hosting a Google Maps Workshop.

On January 11th, 2011 at 7pm, Dale Jarvis and Mel Squarey with the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador are hosting a two hour workshop at the Bay Roberts Pavilion (Visitor Information Centre), on how community groups can use Google Maps to help share local folklore and oral history.

If you’ve looked for directions online, chances are you’ve come across Google Maps. Google’s “My Maps” function is a free online tool where local points of interest can be showcased in an accessible manner. We’ll show you how you can create your own map of your town or region that highlights photos, video, and audio clips about local heritage and culture.

Those individuals or groups interested in partaking in the workshop MUST pre-register by telephone at 1-888-739-1892, ext. 3. The workshop has a limit of 10 spaces, so register quickly. ALL participants of the workshop MUST bring along their own wi-fi enabled laptop.

For more information please contact:
Mel Squarey
ICH Programs Assistant
Hertiage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador
P.O.Box 5171
1st Floor, 1 Springdale St. St. John’s, NL
A1C 5V5
Telephone: 1-888-739-1892 ext. 3 1-709-739-1892 ext. 3
Fax: 1-709-739-5413
Email: ichprograms@gmail.com

Mummers Festival a success! Check out the photos and videos

The Second Annual Mummers Parade went off on Saturday without a hitch. The weather cooperated beautifully, with the rain stopping just long enough for everyone to gather, march, dance, and generally act foolish.  We had a fantastic turnout - about 400 mummers and scores more watching along the route and at The Rooms.

There are some fabulous photos up already on the Mummers Festival group page on Facebook, which we encourage people to add to.

There are also some sets up already on flickr. Let me know if you have more. Check out:

• Denkyem84 - The Mummers Parade 2010, St. John's, Newfoundland
• Felip1 - Mummers parade 18 December 2010
• Eracose - The Mummers Parade - 2010

And there is some video up on YouTube:

• Mummers Dancing
• St. John's 2010 Mummers Parade
• 2010 Mummers Parade
• Mummers Parade in Rabbit Town

Ashley Fitzpatrick's article Mummers and Murder is online, with a link to The Telegram's photo gallery of the parade. The Telegram also has some video footage up as well.

I'm sure more will be added this week!  Thanks to everyone who participated, and to all our sponsors and helpers!

Mummers Parade, Saturday at 2pm - Weather Update!

People have been asking about the weather for the Mummers Parade.

We're almost certain that the Parade will still happen, as scheduled, at 2:00pm on Saturday, Dec. 18.

Mummers know how to party hardy, so don't let a bit of rain keep you away! You might just want to add some rain gear to your disguise*. If you do get a bit wet, you can get warm and dry at our Mummers Concert and Jam at the Rooms after the Parade, at 3:00pm.

The forecast calls for light rain on both Saturday and Sunday, and we would much prefer not to change the date.

However, we will notify you if we cancel tomorrow. You can check the website for updates, listen to the radio for announcements, and check our Mummers Festival Facebook group.

* I have it on good authority that the Carbonear mummers are "mummerizing" their umbrellas as we speak, in preparation for their drive into St. John's tomorrow! You'll have to show up at the parade to find out what a mummerized umbrella (a mumbershoot? a janneyella?) looks like. Maybe it looks like this.

Mummers Festival T-Shirts - Help support your local Mummers Parade!

Looking for the perfect Christmas gift for the Mummer on your list? Well, you can get one of the limited-edition Mummers Festival T-Shirts, featuring the 2010 Mummers Festival poster design by Tara Fleming.

T-Shirts are available in Men's, Women's and Children's sizes. They will be for sale at the Rig Up on Saturday, December 18th, at 1pm at MacPherson Elementary School on Newtown Road.  Shirts are $25 each (cash sales only, please) and all proceeds will go to support the Mummers Festival.

Global ICH Update: Falcons, Gongs, and Three Manly Games

I'm always keeping my eye on what's happening around the world in terms of ICH, and I thought I'd post a note on a couple interesting items that came across my desk today.

First up, UNESCO has added falconry to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Molly Messick with National Public Radio in the US prepared a short radio doc called "An Honored Tradition, Falconry Still Flies". You can check out the transcript, or download the audio postcard as an mp3.

The Central Highlands gong culture of Vietnam was recognised as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2006. But the region is being stripped of its cultural heritage as gongs, drums and other tools are sold to feed a thriving trade in ethnic antiques. Read here about how the provincial People's Committee recently approved a policy to provide an annual stipend to traditional gong owners, in an attempt to keep the antiques in the community.

And for you manly men, or those of you who love them, you can check out Mongolia's Naadam Festival, which showcases the three "manly games" of traditional horse racing, wrestling, and archery. The online Mongolia Travel Guide fills you in on the festival.

Lost Titanic gravesite in St. John's, Newfoundland: Truth or Myth?

I got an interesting note from Dave Snow at Wildland Tours the other day. Dave writes:

"It is my understanding that in late April, 1912 a body was found floating on the Grand Banks. There was no identification on the body so it was picked up, taken to St. John’s, and buried in the Forest Road cemetery. This was most likely an unnamed Titanic victim."

According to Dave, a Titanic lifejacket in The Rooms came from a body that was shipped to Halifax, which is where the photo above was taken. He wanted to know I knew where this St. John's gravesite is, of I could verify the story.  It is a new one to me, but I'd love to know more.

If you've come across this tidbit of local folklore before, and have an idea if is truth or legend, I'd love to hear from you. You can email me at ich@heritagefoundation.ca.

Any details would be appreciated!!

Mummers, Hobby Horses, The Battle of Foxtrap, and preserving local stories

In this edition of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Update for the province of Newfoundland and Labrador:

• The mummers festival returns for another year and another mummer's parade; 
• Melissa Squarey learns how to make her very own hobby horse; 
• Karen Spencer shares how Conception Bay South is preserving their history with three booklets on the Kelligrew's Soiree, the Battle of Fox Trap, and the Agricultural History of Conception Bay South; 
• a discussion of "bucking" and Bonfire Night memories on Memorial University's Digital Archive Initiative; and,
• more on the Baccalieu Trail Public Folklore Project and a need to safeguard the tradition of old time community concerts and times.

Download the pdf here.
or
View it online here.

How to Make a Tin Can Lantern - The Do-it-yourself Comic!

Back in November, we hosted a tin can lantern making workshop with the Friends of Victoria Park Lantern Festival, as part of our Festival on Fire.

If you missed it, but want to make a tin can lantern of your own, here is a do-it-yourself, how-to comic version of the workshop!

Click the image to open it full size. Have fun!