Honorary Newfoundlander

Newfoundlanders are known for their sense of humor and having fun. One result of this is a ceremony known as a "Screech In" that is done for visiting non-newfoundlanders at some of the local pubs. Once "Screeched In" one is said to become an honorary member of the island. In order to understand the different elements of this time honored traditional ceremony, you need a little background....

Until about 15 years ago, just about the ONLY industry on the island was fishing cod. Cod was more than an industry, it has helped define the people, was the main staple of their diet, and has become an integral part of the culture. At the turn of the century, many fisherman would sail to the Carribean and trade cod for rum with Jamaicans. The dark rum in question was known as "screech" and for many years was home brewed as a shine on the island. 

Another interesting fact about the island is that in many of the rural communities, the english spoken has evolved into what could almost be considered a dialect. Being isolated for so long as a function of geography much of the language, accent, intonation and expressions have remained unchanged from that of the original Irish and English settlers centuries ago. Even I have trouble understanding some of the rural fishermen! There is also a VERY rich music and song tradition/culture on the island, and "kitchen parties" are still very common today and involve people gathering and singing the traditional songs around the kitchen table with a few drinks, a fiddle and an accordion. 

So, with that in mind, the ceremony goes like this: The "CFA" (Come From Away) must...

1) Sing a traditional song

2) Learn to say a typical Newfie saying

3) Eat a piece of Newfoundland "steak" (a.k.a  "Bologna" pronounced with an A not a Y)

4) Kiss a frozen cod fish

and

5) Drink a shot of Screech

For their efforts they receive on official certificate that names them an Honorary Newfoundlander. 

Here are a few select video clips (and one picture) of Marshall's ceremony (done in a group). The gentleman (or "Buddy" as he would be called there) conducting the ceremony is dressed in traditional fishing gear, and for some reason decided to pick on Marshall. The last clip is my favourite! It was pretty dark in the pub, so the clips aren't the best video quality, but you can hear things pretty well, so they give you the idea :)

The Introduction

The Song

The Newfie Saying

Kissing the Cod

The Screech (note the expression on the faces of his fellow CFA's)

The Moment of Truth