l’Ordre de Bon Temps

Ordre de bon temps – Jefferys, Charles William, 1869-1951 – Public Domain – Bibliothèque et Archives Canada, numéro d’acquisition 1996-282-3. Droit d’auteur: Expiré

There’s been much strange back and forth on the Catholic blogosphere recently about the “true” history of Thanksgiving, whether or not it’s a “Catholic holiday”, etc. I don’t give a fig for all the argumentation (which is of course profoundly different from conversation), but I found this recent post in what I consider my local paper, The Bangor Daily News, about the French colonists “Order of Good Cheer”, a non-Anglo quasi-Thanksgiving of sorts that I’d never heard of before:

Despite their previous experience, still more of the inhabitants of the new colony perished in the next winter. When the first governor of Port Royal, the Baron de Poutrincourt, arrived in Port Royal the following year (1606), on November 14th, the citizens were so grateful that they held a feast. Champlain, to promote this feeling of hospitality and ensure good times throughout the winter months, established what they called l’Ordre de Bon Temps or ‘The Order of Good Cheer’. Even the local Amerindians were invited to take part in the feasting[.]

“To keep us happy and content, at least in regard to food, an Order of the Table was established, presided over by Sieur de Poutrincourt, which was named THE ORDER OF GOOD CHEER, first put forward by Champlain, whereby those at the aforementioned table each acted as steward in turn, once in a fortnight. Now he whose turn it was had the task of keeping us well and making sure that we were treated honorably. This was so well observed, that even though the gourmands over here [in France] often tell us that there we have nothing like the Rue aux Ours in Paris [a street renowned for its meat-roasters] we made as good cheer as we might do in the Rue aux Ours, and at less cost.

“For there was no one who, two days before his turn came to do the honors, didn’t go hunting or fishing, and bring back something rare, in addition to our usual fare. So at breakfast we have never missed some savory meat or fish; at lunch and in the evening still less because this was the great feast, at which the master of ceremonies or steward (which the Indians call an Atoctegic) with everything prepared and cooked, walked with the serviette on his shoulder, the badge of office in his hand, the collar of the Order on his neck, and all those of the same Order after him bearing each dish. The same thing happened at dessert, though not with so much ceremony. And at night before giving thanks to God, the steward would give over the collar of the Order, with a glass of wine to his successor in office, and they would drink to each other. “

The celebration also included the first play to be performed by Europeans in North America, and inspired the first order of North American knighthood. Very interesting stuff.

I’m with family today. Not all of them, but a lot from my wife’s side. And while it might be true that Thanksgiving isn’t a holiday of obligation, celebrating communion with family is always something to be thankful for. I hope yours is blessed and happy.