Canadians at Table: Food, Fellowship, and Folklore

by Dorothy Duncan

  Traditional Roast Turkey

  Cornbread Stuffing

  Cranberry Sauce

  Mashed Potato Casserole

  Succotash

  Broccoli Spears

  Pumpkin Pie with Sweetened Whipped Cream OR

  Maple Mousse[11]

  In 2002, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh were again guests on Thanksgiving Day at Rideau Hall. This time they were hosted by Governor General Adrienne Clarkson, who oversaw much of the planning, including the gold tablecloths, gold-rimmed Limoges plates, silverware engraved with a vice-regal lion, the crest of the governor general of Canada, Portuguese cut-crystal ware, handwritten place cards, menus bound with silken tassels, and daring centrepieces of sunflower and bittersweet.

  Their Thanksgiving Day luncheon menu on Monday, October 14, included

  grilled red chard–wrapped Cortland apple and Quebec foie gras with Bella Coola pine mushroom rillettes; roulade of Southern Haida Gwaii spotted prawns and Nunavut Arctic cod, served with fricassee of fall vegetables and Miramichi Bay lobster; butternut squash cannelloni filled with a tarragon-scented polenta; bosc pear and dried fig pudding Napoleon; candied Saskatchewan High Bush cranberry and Rideau Hall Garden pumpkin ice cream. Potables: Stoney Ridge Cellars Cuesta Estates Old Vines Chardonnay 1997 from the Niagara Peninsula and Summerhill Cipes Brut from the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia.

  Not your typical Thanksgiving repast, but yummy, from all accounts.[12]

  As October 31 approaches, many Canadians prepare for a modern Halloween when young people, and the young at heart, knock on neighbours’ doors. Finding a suitable pumpkin to carve into a smiling face, preparing treats to give out at the door, helping younger members of the family to prepare a costume are all part of the annual ritual. As darkness falls, the children, dressed in an array of costumes ranging from traditional witches, devils, and other spirits to space creatures, start knocking on doors and chant, “Trick or treat,” thus continuing a celebration that is more than two thousand years old and which is steeped in more tradition, controversy, and folklore than any other.

  The origins of Halloween may go back to the ancient Romans, who at a similar time of year held a feast in honour of Pomona, the Goddess of Tree Fruit, such as apples and cherries, with much feasting and merrymaking and giving thanks for a bountiful harvest. The Celts and their priests, the Druids, believed there were only two seasons in the year, summer and winter, and that summer ended on October 31, as did the year, so that November 1 was New Year’s Day and also the first day of winter.

  By October 31, the herds should have been safely stabled in barns, having been brought from their summer pastures, so households could gather to celebrate. Storehouses would be opened to start using the grain and other produce that had been harvested for the winter. This occasion was called the Festival of Summer’s End, or Samhain, and it was believed that the Lord of Death allowed those who had died in the previous year and had taken on the bodies of animals to return to their old homes. Fires were set on the hillsides, as it was believed the flames welcomed good spirits and prevented evil ones from coming near. Special foods were prepared to welcome good spirits when they arrived at the door.

  In addition to lighting fires and preparing food for the return of departed loved ones, All Hallow’s Eve began to develop new traditions as various cultural groups observed the festival. The Irish are credited with the jack-o’-lantern, made from carving a turnip or a potato to look like a human head. Then a candle was placed inside so that the lantern could be carried around to ward off evil. The “lamp” was named after an Irish tailor called Jack, who angered both God and the devil and was not allowed to enter either heaven or Hades but was forced to wander the earth until Judgment Day, carrying his lighted turnip to find his way.

  The Scots contributed many traditions to All Hallow’s Eve, centred around food, beverages, and foretelling the future. Bobbing for apples was a favourite that was practised by courting couples. Each apple would be given the name of a desired mate. If the bobber succeeded in biting the apple on the first try, then the love would thrive. If the apple was caught on the second bite, the love would exist only briefly. Success on the third chance meant hate, not love. Another custom involved peeling apples with a small knife. The long spiral of apple peel was thrown over the left shoulder, and when it landed, it resembled the first letter of a sweetheart’s name.

  New arrivals to North America brought their memories surrounding Halloween with them, as Captain James Alexander noted in his Transatlantic Sketches. In 1833 he was travelling on the Rideau Canal between Bytown (later Ottawa) and Kingston with Colonel and Mrs. John By and their two daughters. Several officers made up the party, which was paddled in birchbark canoes by Canadian voyageurs:

  We spent the evening of Halloween among drowned woods and swamps, and a deluge of rain, whilst we recounted the legends and ghost stories, with which the Scottish crones are wont to affright their juvenile audience on that dreadful night, and then had a round of music.

  The night drove on wi’ sangs and clatter,

  And aye the ale was growing better!

  The storm without might rair and rustle;

  We didna mind the storm a whistle![13]

  Canadians have seen many changes transform Halloween. Pumpkins, which were plentiful in Canada, were quickly substituted for potatoes and turnips in fashioning a jack-o’-lantern. In 1890 in Halifax when apple bobbing was on the program at the Queen’s Hotel, it was the bellboys who bobbed, not the guests, and they were looking for coins, not for their true loves! Canadian newspapers printed stories of young people in Prince Edward Island carrying lighted cattails that had been soaked in kerosene for several days as they went around in old clothes looking for treats. Tricks were played on those who did not give a treat, and one of the most popular was to remove and hide the gates that hung at the entrance to farm homes.[14] In Toronto an Anti-Treating Society was formed, and in 1876 the Daily Globe published an article describing a free concert held the night before in a schoolhouse in order to keep trick-or-treaters off the street. The church minister gave readings, the church choir sang, and piano solos were performed. In Canada’s modern communities, there are many evangelical Christians, observant Muslims, and Orthodox Jews who forbid their children from taking part in Halloween because of its connections with witchcraft and the occult.

  Today many communities organize a party for the children and young people to discourage door-to-door solicitation because of concerns about its pagan overtones or about the safety of the children and the contents of the treats they might be given. Most of us, however, will continue to gear up for the annual visitation and prepare treats that carry with them much of the symbolism of this centuries-old celebration.

  The Festival of Lights, or Diwali (Diwali/Dipavali), is celebrated in October or November. It is the most popular Hindu festival of the year, for it marks the beginning of winter and culminates on the night of the new moon. Oil lamps called dipas are lighted in honour of the goddess Lashmi, mantras are sung, and prayers and fresh fruit are offered for prosperity and unity with one another. Traditions include the paying of all debts, cleaning the house, and dressing in one’s best — all familiar to those Canadians of Scottish ancestry who celebrate Hogmanay. Canadians of Chinese ancestry will also recognize many of these traditions during the celebration of the Chinese New Year.

  The origin of the term Hogmanay is lost in the mists of time. Some historians think it may derive from the old Norman French hoguignane, or the Old French phrase aguil’ anneuf, meaning “To the New Year.” Others claim that both Hogmanay and guignotee (the old custom by which French Canadians visit houses on New Year’s Eve) came from a French phrase meaning “To the mistletoe, the New Year.”

  For Scottish Canadians, the celebration of Hogmanay on New Year’s Eve is the highlight of their year. The feast is centuries old and is steeped in tradition, folklore, superstition, and symbolism, all reflecting the history of
the Scots, both in their homeland and around the world. Many of the customs revolve around food and ingredients — the preparation, the decoration, and finally the presentation of victuals to friends and family on New Year’s Eve as midnight approaches.

  As the old year draws to a close, the Scots believe (as do many other cultural groups) that it is time to pay the bills, clean the house and outbuildings, mend the clothes, return borrowed items, and make peace with enemies. An abundance of good food must also be prepared in preparation for the New Year’s Eve visitors, all of whom will receive a warm welcome, whether expected or unexpected.

  Weeks in advance of Hogmanay, traditional dishes such as Black Bun (also called Scotch Currant Bun, Rich Bun, or Scotch Xmas Bun) are prepared. In the old Scottish dialect bun meant “plum cake,” and this is truly a surprise cake for those trying it for the first time. It is believed to have originated in Scottish bakeries when they were only allowed to make cake for special holidays. Bakers set aside a lump of bread dough to which fruit and spice were added. This rich, spicy mixture would not stay together, so it was enclosed in a thin casing of bread dough, which through the years has become a casing of short, rich pastry.

  Hogmanay Shortbread is often made in a large circle, with the edges notched with thumb and finger to symbolize the sun’s rays in the coming year, a custom that originated in the ancient days of sun worship. The large Shortbread is cut into wedges while still warm. In Nova Scotia small cookies called Scotch Cakes are often cut into fancy shapes before they are baked.

  Whenever or wherever Canadians of Scottish ancestry gather for a celebration, the crisp, crumbly buttery biscuit known as Shortbread is part of the festive table.

  In pagan times, the Greeks and Romans cut crosses on buns and cakes to symbolize the four seasons of the year. Christians continued this practice as a symbol of their faith. Hence the cross on Oatcakes, which in Canada are also called Bannock. They are a combination of oatmeal, salt, fat, and water. Oatcakes or Bannock came to Canada with the Scots, and the First Nations adopted or adapted them to their own ingredients and needs. Many Canadians think of Bannock as their national food. Oatcakes were originally cooked on a griddle (one of the oldest cooking utensils common to all Celtic countries). However, they are often made in a heavy frying pan or baked in the oven.

  Scots Eggs, or Scotch Eggs, are a great favourite during the celebration of poet Robert Burns’s birthday and St. Andrew’s Day (November 30) as well as on Hogmanay. They are served for breakfast, presented as a savoury on special occasions and, during the summer months, are taken on picnics and other outings. Scotch Eggs are made with hard-boiled eggs, peeled and wrapped in sausage meat, then rolled in crumbs and deep-fried.

  Haggis is known as “the great Chieftain o’ the pudding race,” and a Hogmanay table would not be complete without this famous dish (also immortalized by Robert Burns). When Haggis is made in a sheep’s stomach, a cross is cut in it when it is ready to be served. On many occasions, Haggis is served with “clapshot” or “tatties ’n neeps,” which are equal amounts of potatoes and turnip, boiled, mashed together, and served with generous portions of butter, salt, and pepper.

  For those people who don’t want to search for a sheep’s stomach to make Haggis in the traditional way, a modern version called Pan Haggis is becoming popular with Scots around the world. This concoction is a combination of boiled grated liver and onion, suet, oatmeal, salt, pepper, and herbs simmered or steamed until the flavours are well blended.

  Traditionally in Scotland, New Year’s Eve began with the children swaddled in white sheets going house to house, calling for treats:

  Hogmanmay,

  Trollolay!

  Get up, good housewife, and shake your feathers,

  And dinna think that we are beggars,

  For we are bairns come out to play,

  Get up and gie’s our hogmanay.

  My feet’s cauld, my shoon’s thin;

  Gie’s my cakes, and let me rin.

  The favourite treat for the children was, and is, an Oatcake, sometimes accompanied by soft cheese, unsalted butter, honey, preserves, or marmalade.

  It is believed that descendants of Scottish families who settled in Northern Ireland took the traditions of Hogmanay with them, and in Clogher Valley mummers (neighbours who wore sheets, costumes, and masks) went door-to-door singing, dancing, and asking for a treat of cakes. Mummers of all ages wearing masks and costumes still sing and dance their way into their neighbours’ hearts and homes in Newfoundland, any time from Christmas to January 6, Old Christmas Day on the Julian calendar.

  Hogmanay is a communal celebration, and all visitors are welcome in a Scottish home, but anticipation mounts as midnight approaches to see who will be the “first-footer,” the first person, other than a member of the family, who crosses the threshold after the clock strikes midnight. Everyone believes this person will determine the fortune of the family and household for the coming year. The custom of first-footing derives from the good fairy of Norse folklore. A dark-haired man bodes well for the coming year, while a redhead or a woman is considered unlucky. As a result, first-footers are usually dark-haired men who carry gifts, including whisky, tea, coal, or salt, each symbolizing something different — good health, good fortune, good luck, a warm home, a full larder, or a healthy year, depending on the community or the geographical area of Canada.

  The first-footer is offered refreshments from the Hogmanay table, including two favourite beverages, Het Pint and Atholl Brose. The first is a combination of ale, Scotch whisky, sugar, eggs, and nutmeg, which is slowly warmed while being constantly stirred and poured between pan and mugs or tankards until it froths. The initial mention of Atholl Brose was in 1475 when the Earl of Atholl filled a small well in a rock with this delicious beverage so that he could capture a foe he knew would linger to drink the irresistible brew. From the legend developed the tradition of offering Atholl Brose to guests on Hogmanay to bring them good luck in the coming year. And it is indeed an irresistible brew — a combination of Scotch whisky, honey, oatmeal, hot water, and whipped cream, the last being a modern addition.

  In the wee small hours of the morning before the guests retire to bed or leave for home, they still join hands, form a circle, and sing “Auld Lang Syne.” This salute to friends and loved ones is attributed to Robert Burns (1759–1796), the national poet of Scotland. Burns claimed he did write the words, but the melody of this widely sung song was based on fragments of an old Scottish folk tune:

  Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

  And never brought to mind?

  Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

  And days o auld lang syne?

  For auld lang syne my Dear,

  For auld lang syne,

  We’ll take a cup o kindness yet,

  For auld lang syne.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Have We Come Full Circle?

  AS THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY UNFOLDS AND we consider our food traditions, Canada continues to be a very diverse nation. This long history of diversity began with the First Nations, continued with the early settlements by the newcomers, and develops unabated with every passing day and every new arrival.

  There have been several periods in Canada’s history when one cultural group has thought another’s food traditions were quaint, old-fashioned, or even eccentric. The use of trees, plants, herbs, and animals to cure the ills of body, mind, and spirit by the First Nations and the early settlers often fell into that category. Many groups such as the Pennsylvania Germans, the Chinese, the Italians, and others believed in the curative powers of everyday vegetables, fruits, herbs, roots, bark, and leaves to prevent or to alleviate suffering. Again, their neighbours often regarded these communities with something that bordered on disdain and disbelief. One example of this reaction was that at one point in Canada’s history garlic was dubbed “the stinking rose,” while today it is often referred to as “the magic healer.” Most Canadians in the past considered ginger nothing
more than an exotic and expensive seasoning. Only in the twentieth century did it finally receive recognition by the scientific community. There are hundreds of other examples, for we have attempted over the years to ignore some of the simple solutions to our culinary and medicinal needs.

  In the late twentieth century, however, there was a renewed concern by Canadians of all cultural groups and walks of life about their increasingly hectic lifestyles and their willingness to embrace quick and easy solutions to their food and beverage needs. Canadians realized they could have any food they wanted, from anywhere in the world, at any time of the year, as long as they did not care how it tasted or how much it cost! There was also a growing dependency on modern medicines and drugs that sometimes triggered allergic reactions that were far worse than the original ailment. And there were worries about the substances that were being added to our foods by manufacturers for a variety of reasons — freshness, colour, taste, or consistency of texture — either directly or even indirectly through animals’ diets, pesticides used on or near growing plants, and the chemicals from wrapping materials. Furthermore, our interest in, and growing attraction to, eating out, whether it was in a fast-food restaurant or in the most elegant dining room, raised the questions of where those ingredients and prepared foods had come from and what had been added to them.

  These concerns and others have prompted a surge in the popularity of local farmers’ markets and spurred the rapid growth of organic farms, butchers, and markets and the emergence of organic sections in supermarkets. The Organic Trade Association in Ottawa is working on Canadian organic standards and regulations and is compiling organic farm and trade statistics while responding to members’ needs and requirements. The attractiveness of health foods such as goat’s milk, tofu, oat bran, whole grains, free-range chickens and hogs, wild foods, honey, maple syrup, seaweed, kelp, and herbs is on the rise. “Reduce, reuse, recycle” has become fashionable again, and some Canadians wonder if the burgeoning interest in environmental concerns explains why garage sales are so popular in our communities.