My Ancestry

My  family's coat of arms.

Throughout my life I have never really know about my past relatives and how they got to Canada but during my interview with my dad, I found out that my ancestors are British, Scottish, and Norwegian. While my ancestors were in Scotland, they had 2 hills named after them, “one in Annandale and one in Nithsdale” (Halliday). The reason behind the naming of the hills is because "they owned the land, they were one of the first settler in Annandale and [that fact they are] Scottish nobles" (Halliday). A pull factor that made my ancestors move to Canada would be a better quality of life, a fresh start, and an opportunity for new land.

My family is not sure when but they know that 4 brothers from the Halliday side of my family came across from Scotland by boat and settled in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. From there they have lived in Nova Scotia for multiple generations, with a few relatives moving around Canada to places like Newfoundland. Recently my dad’s generation was the first generation to have children outside of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.

What Jigg's Dinner typically looks like

I think the beliefs of my ancestor's does not matter to me, but their traditions do. I love the fact that we still celebrate all the big cultural events like praying to St. Anthony for lost items, Old Father Time, Jiggs dinner, and St. Patrick’s day. I like how my family has kept all of these traditions plus more in the family for such a long time, and how they have adapted them into our times. I intend to pass these traditions onto my children in hope they will enjoy them as much as I do!

Works Cited

Coles, Terri. “Why Newfoundland Needs to Be Your Next Culinary Travel Destination.” Serious Eats, 2017, www.seriouseats.com/2014/09/newfoundland-cuisine-best-food-canada-travel.html. Accessed 8 Dec. 2017.

Hallliday, Chris. “Halliday Hill.” Blogger, 28 May 2011, hallidayofscotland.blogspot.ca/2011/05/halliday-hill.html. Accessed 8 Dec. 2017.

Interview. By Mark Halliday. Nov. 2017.

Pinterest. “Halliday Coat of Arms.” Pinterest, www.pinterest.ca/pin/486248091000630489/. Accessed 8 Dec. 2017.