THE MUMMER TRADITION
Answering a loud knock on the door reveals an odd group of souls, dressed in old, worn clothing, humps on their backs, and their faces covered to hide their identity..together in a voice acquired by speaking while drawing in their breath they chorus, "Any mummers allowed in?"
A strange occurrence? Not if you live in Newfoundland during the Christmas season!
Mummering is an old Newfoundland tradition dating back to 6th century Rome when there was no organized theatre. The church had condemned all forms of drama, and therefore the performers and entertainers became wanderers.
During the Christmas season, these wanderers, or mummers, would visit the homes of the wealthy and perform tricks and short plays in hopes of receiving small donations. This form of mummering trickled into England and Ireland, and thus was carried to Newfoundland by those who settled the province.
Though mummering, or janneying, has died out somewhat over the years, it is still alive and well in most rural areas of Newfoundland. Each Christmas, usually beginning December 26th, people will disguise themselves in old clothing, stuff themselves with pillows, men will dress as women and women will dress as men, and cover their faces with pieces of cloth or pillowcases. They travel about the community on foot, welcome visitors house after house. They will bring laughter, merriment, and Christmas cheer to each home, where residents will tirelessly try to guess who is behind each clever disguise. Once their identity has been revealed, they will break out an accordian or guitar, sing a few songs, dance a jig, and in keeping with tradition, have a drink of "spirits" before moving on to the next house and leaving a puddle of melted snow in their wake.
This fun and merry custom, however, was not always a welcome occurrence in Newfoundland. Mummering once became a very rough and violent activity in which the costumes consisted of dried skins, horns and tails from caribou, seals and other animals. The event usually took the form of a parade in the street and became very loud and rowdy, with the participants carrying sticks. People were injured and property was damaged by those whose identity was hidden. People were quite frightened by the mummers, and as a result the activity was banned.
The mummers of today, however, carry instruments, and their intentions are simply to add merriment and cheer to the Christmas season.
THE FIGHTING NEWFOUNDLANDERS 
IN MEMORY OF....
To honour the memory of the Newfoundlanders who fought at Beaumont Hamel, July 1, 1916, an interpretation centre is being built at the battle site in Beaumont Hamel, France. Designed to help us remember the sacrifice made for our freedom generations ago, the center will tell the story of what happened on that day in an historical context. It is scheduled to be completed this fall.
Before it was a province of Canada, Newfoundland was a country. It had its own flag, its own currency, its own Government, and its own anthem, patriotically called the Ode to Newfoundland. The Ode was sung at important occasions, at the end of the proceedings and after the last bars of God Save the King had faded away. For although it was its own, the little independent nation was still tied to and felt much obliged to King and Country.
With the outbreak of war in 1914, a citizens' committee organized Newfoundland troops to go overseas. Later in the war they would have earned the prefix Royal, but at this point they were called the Newfoundland Regiment. Brave and hardy boys and men, they. Many of whom fished the North Atlantic for cod in tiny boats, and suspended their lives in mid-air as they jumped from ice pan to ice pan to harvest seals. They enlisted on a volunteer basis. It was not until 1917 that the Newfoundland government took formal control and began administrating and regulating the Regiment.
Without caps, without rifles, and with puttees (cloth strips wrapped from ankle to knee) of blue rather than khaki, as was the standard British uniform, the first contingent of Fighting Newfoundlanders arrived in England in October of 1914. Over the next four years over 6130 Newfoundlanders and Labradorians served. Known as the Blue Puttees, the Newfoundland Regiment threw their lives into the war effort, so much so that, at the onset of World War II, Sir Winston Churchill looked around at all the resources available in his war cabinet boardroom and asked: "Where are the Newfoundlanders?"
July 1, 1916
It took less than half an hour from start to finish. But decades later, we spent hours thinking, wondering, questioning, mourning.
The Germans were well prepared for war that day. From their sheltered position, riflemen and machine-gunners came out from dugouts and shelters. Backed up by heavy guns, the Germans fired and fell the 87th Brigade.
So began the Battle of Beaumont Hamel on July 1, 1916. After the eradication of the 87th Brigade, the 88th was ordered to advance and attack the enemy's front line. They had to cross more than 200 metres of ground before they reached even their own front line. Open fire through the wire, they made their way. Those who made it as far as No Man's Land could look up to see the German wire half a kilometre away. And up the hill they marched. They were picked off one by one. Blown off three by three. And it did not stop - not the firing and not the marching, until there were no marchers left to fire at.
They died trying to make it to the front lines. Of the 801 Newfoundlanders who went to battle, 68 remained unwounded. Afterwards the Divisional Commander was to write of the Newfoundland effort: "It was a magnificent display of trained and disciplined valour, and its assault failed of success because dead men can advance no further."
Now in France those killing fields are Beaumont Hamel Memorial Park. The land itself pays homage to those boys and men who fought on July 1, 1916 where trenches scar the fields. Another monument, a great bronze caribou, the emblem of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, stands. It is like the one that in Bowring Park, St. John's, not far from the statue of the Fighting Newfoundlander.
Beaumont Hamel Memorial Park is a Canadian National Historic Site.
NEWFOUDLAND DOG 
Gentle nature and webbed feet...
The Newfoundland is a large dog with the size and strength to perform the tasks required of him. He has a heavy coat to protect him from the long winters and the icy waters surrounding his native island. His feet are large, strong, and webbed so that he may travel easily over marshes and shores.
Essentially the Newfoundland dog is as much at home in the water as on dry land. Canine literature gives us stories of brave Newfoundlands which have rescued men and women from watery graves; stories of shipwrecks made less terrible by dogs which carried life lines to stricken vessels; of children who have fallen into deep water and have been brought safely ashore by Newfoundlands; and of dogs whose work was less spectacular but equally valuable as they helped their fishermen owners with their heavy nets and performed other tasks necessary to their occupations. Although he is a superior water dog, the Newfoundland has been used and still is used in Newfoundland and Labrador as a true working dog, dragging carts, or more often carrying burdens as a pack horse.
In order to perform these duties the Newfoundland must be a large dog - large enough to bring ashore a drowning man. He must have powerful hindquarters and a lung capacity which enables him to swim for great distances. He must have the heavy coat which protects him from the icy waters. In short, he must be strong, muscular, and sound so that he may do the work for which he has become justly famous. Above all things, the Newfoundland must have intelligence, the loyalty and the sweetness which are his best known traits. He must be able and willing to help his master perform his necessary tasks at command and also have the intelligence to act on his own responsibility when his rescue work demands it.
The Newfoundland dog is mainly kept, not as an active worker, but as a companion, guard and friend. We appreciate particularly the sterling traits of the true Newfoundland disposition. Here we have the great size and strength which makes him an effective guard and watchdog combined with the gentleness which makes him a safe companion. For generations he has been the traditional children's protector and playmate.
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