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Funerals and
Festivals
Some of the Mother Country funeral customs were
evidently practised in
York, Upper Canada
. At least one correspondent of the Upper Canada Gazette was very critical of
the typical funeral:
From a
mistaken feeling of hospitality and attention, Trays of Cake and Wine are
often carried out to those surrounders, presenting an appearance to any
stranger who may be accidentally passing by, that some merry-making was going
forward, and who, if not accustomed to such scenes, would be horror-struck
with the idea that this was the Feast of Mourning.[i]
The Festival of St. Andrew was a convenient occasion for making merry into the
wee hours and Mr. McDonald's
Inn
in Williamstown was a convenient location for doing it:
On
Wednesday evening, the 30th, being the festival of St. Andrew, the County
Glengarry St. Andrew's Society dined together... After the usual routine
toasts had been duly drunk, several songs were sung, and the party broke up at
a late, or rather an early hour, highly delighted with the festivity and
social harmony which prevailed throughout the evening.[ii]
[i]
The Champlain Society, The Town of
York
, 1815-1834, p. 315, quoting from the "Upper Canada Gazette"
and "U.E. Loyalist", September 30, 1826.
[ii]
British Colonist, Dec. 14, 1842.
The
Scarboro Heights Record V13 #6
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