Festival Celtique de Québec

At the Québec's Celtic Festival there was something for everyone, awakening the Celtic in all!

The presence of Celtic communities shapes Québec's heritage. The majority of Quebecers of European descent share a Celtic connection, whether they are of Breton, Cornish, Scottish, Welsh, Irish, or Manx descent. We had no idea.

We received a thorough Scottish history lesson from William, a MacGregor. He even helped us research our roots, hoping to find some true reason for me to wear plaid! No luck, however.

Next was a visit with the Vikings.

The Viking era is the period following the Germanic Iron Age, from around the year 793 to 1066.

The day was full of unique activities. From Irish dancers, to historical artisans, to fiddler players, to people-watching extraordinaire!

I do love a bagpipe and thoroughly enjoyed the 78th Fraser Highlanders musical performances.

We even had the opportunity to watch a Viking battle. So dang fun.

A highlight was the renowned Highland Games. Made up of seven events, the official origin of the Highland Games dates back to the reign of Malcolm Canmore, with the aim of training his army in different tests of strength and power.

From the 16th century, the games transformed into a festive occasion. In the eyes of kings and chiefs, however, they remained a method of selecting the best men for their escort. Over the decades, the rules evolved to standardize the acts of strength, now performed by men and women.

The caber (tree in Gaelic) was interesting to watch and is the main test of strength and skill of the Highland Games. This would have its origins in loggers, who threw small tree trunks over rivers in order to cross them. At the same time, warriors also used 20-foot tree trunks — using them as ladders against walls — to attack castles.