We love community involvement!
The Féis brought this small hamlet together, producing an environment where individual strengths are celebrated and people’s traditional knowledge is respected. That nurturing atmosphere is also creating a community that’s more open to newcomers than most.
“It is a down-to-earth event that is enjoyed first by the community, young and all, and visitors naturally feel welcomed to participate,” says David Alsina, a Spaniard now living in the area. “The Féis success comes from its natural match with the community. Nowadays there are too many Disneylands – events without real connections, designed in some office building in a big city. The Féis is the product of neighbours meeting neighbours, in their kitchens, year round, to plan next summer. And all that happens here is traditional and unique in North America. A living celebration of the identity of the Gaelic people.”
Alsina says that strong sense of self, and the bonds created by the Féis, make Christmas Island welcoming to others. Paul Moore agrees. “For me the Féis is community. As a relative newcomer, 20-plus years, it took a while to feel accepted. Through the Féis, I was made to feel welcome.”
Both Moore and Alsina appreciate the cultural importance of the Féis, but also see a broader impact. “I am passionate about the Féis – it is so much more than a week of activities,” says Moore, who acts as sound technician and recording engineer for the group, which records audio and video of every event. “It is an entity which continues to preserve the oral traditions of the history of the Gaelic language in Cape Breton and beyond. The folks at Christmas Island have always seen the bigger picture in what they are doing. So much of the oral traditions are being lost or ‘reduced’ to the written word when the true history of the songs and stories were meant to be in an oral form.”
“The Féis is an indispensable tool towards the maintenance of Gaelic culture and language in Cape Breton,” adds Alsina. “There is no better way to preserve your identity than to have so much fun being yourself – and the Féis is great fun!”
Alsina sees the Féis as a model for other communities dealing with outmigration and depleted economies. “Community organized events like the Féis can keep people’s spirits up, refusing to be shut down for economical reasons.”
“Within the local community, the Féis means celebration, gathering, connection, as well as an economic spin-off,” observes Moore. “It is an opportunity to teach and practice language, through songs and stories. There is also a bigger community of Gaelic speakers, singers, songwriters and folklorists who can greatly benefit from the work that is being done.”
