Quebec Island Celebrates Lent with Masks and Jigs

Masked visitors celebrated the Mid-Lent, or “Mi-Carême,” festival on L’Isle-aux-Coudres, Quebec, a tradition rooted in medieval France. Participants donned elaborate disguises and danced in homes, evoking a sense of defiance against historical church authority. The celebration reflects a cultural shift in Quebec, where the Catholic Church once exerted significant influence, and now serves as both a remembrance of past customs and a modern expression of community identity.

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