NEWS

Atchafalaya Voices: A frightful — and loud — wedding celebration

Linda Connolly Tribe
Special to The Advertiser

The noise was deafening. As the newlyweds looked out into the darkness, they saw numerous friends and family parading around their house. Each had a pot or pan or large sticks or cow bells and in unison the group pounded out a beat. Whatever they could beat together, they hit and succeeded to interrupt the wedding night.

It was quite scary since the newly married couple had just moved to Ricohoc and they could not imagine what their community was doing. The bride was divorced and had moved away years previously as a young child from her Cajun people. Usually, someone widowed or divorced or sometimes a newly married couple with no divorce or death of the spouse, were royally greeted in this way. Her young groom was from New York and the Cajuns called him the Américain. Neither knew just exactly what was going on.

This display of humor is called charivari (sha-ree-va-rée) and it is an old French wedding custom brought to Louisiana by the Acadian settlers. Since pagan times, this custom has been practiced in France and it is done to drive evil spirits away from the newlyweds. Charivari was always best as a surprise and the Cajuns were more than ready for fun.

Bewildered, the young couple went out onto their small front porch and watched as the small group circled their house. “Go away. We did nothing to hurt any of you. What do you want?” yelled the groom. On and on the noise continued with no break in the beat.

Someone in the parade yelled back, “Kiss the bride and we will stop if we are invited in for something to drink and eat.” The young couple threw up their arms in defeat. Where would they get enough food and drink to feed the large gathering? The bride’s mother approached them carrying a large, brightly decorated cake. Other women came forward and presented more cakes, lemonade and cookies. There on the porch sat the well-meaning intruders, eating and drinking with the now-happy couple.

This was a playful way of honoring the new couple. Eventually charivari ended and the crowd left in peace yelling, “Que le Dieu benit les maries!” (May God bless the married ones.) or “Que le Dieu benit les noces!” (May God bless the nuptials.).

Only one celebration per marriage was allowed, thank God. In later years the couple would look back and laugh, but at the time of the celebration, they were scared.

Linda Connolly Tribe, of Broussard, is a grandmother of four and a great-grandmother of two who documents memories of her late parent’s lives.