In 1606, the French geographer and cartographer Samuel de Champlain created a type of Thanksgiving known as the "The Order of Good Cheer" ("L'Ordre de Bon Temps" in French) with the purpose of psychologically increasing the health and spirits of his struggling group of colonists.
In 1604, a French expedition led by merchant venturer Pierre Du Gua, Sieur de Monts (circa 1558 - 1628), and including geographer and cartographer Samuel de Champlain (circa 1567 - 1635), arrived off the coast of what is today southwestern Nova Scotia. After they explored of the Bay of Fundy, a settlement was established on Saint Croix Island or Isle Sainte Croix in French, which is an island in the Sainte Croix River - now in the U.S. state of Maine - and was situated just across the big bay with the highest tides in the world and very close to the modern border between the Canadian province of New Brunswick and the U.S. State of Maine. During the summer of 1604, houses, stores, and a chapel were hastily erected, while gardens were planted on the island and on a neighboring river bank. The French explorer, Pierre Du Gua, Sieur de Monts and Samuel de Champlain, who were two of the 79 men on this expedition, tried to "overwinter" on the island during the winter of 1604-1605. De Monts, Champlain and their men chose to live on the island because they thought it would be easier to defend in case they were attacked, as well as being a good location which also gave them safe anchorage. However, during the harsh winter of 1604-1605, unexpected hardships in locating and obtaining fresh food and water due to the fact that being on an island made it almost impossible for them to leave because of the dangerous ice that surrounded the island, in addition to being left vulnerable to attack, resulted in the death of thirty-five of the 79 men, who died from scurvy, a vitamin deficiency. Only 11 of the remaining 44 men remained healthy when spring finally arrived in 1605. One account says that of those 11 healthy men, only three decided to stay in North America for another winter. The rest went back to France. However, one of the three that remained was the famous cartographer and explorer Samuel de Champlain. Another account states that all the remaining 44 men remained in the settlement. After De Monts and Champlain took a small expedition southward along the coasts of present-day Maine and Massachusetts as far as Cape Cod, De Monts dismantled the settlement on Isle Sainte Croix across the Bay of Fundy to a new location at Port-Royal overlooking the Annapolis Basin on the shores of the Bay of Fundy. The new habitation that was built at Port-Royal or Porte Royale in French (now known as Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia) was a defensive structure that accommodated the colonists, their supplies, and workshops; it was the forerunner of similar trading posts built by the French elsewhere on the continent during the 17th and 18th centuries. However, during the winter of 1605-1606, a further 12 men died of scurvy.
Although Champlain, being a geographer and cartographer, did not know that the cause of the death of his fellow men was from vitamin deficiencies caused by scurvy in addition to no one else at that time knowing the reason for their deaths, it was nonetheless the genius of Champlain to notice that his men were suffering from malnutrition and/or exposure to the cold and suggested that good food and friendly, lively camaraderie would go a long way towards curing the medical problems of his small and struggling colony at Porte Royale, in addition to increasing their morale. This resulted in Champlain creating what was arguably the very first "cooking club" or "food fraternity" in Canada. He called it - in French of course - "L'Ordre de Bon Temps" ("The Order of Good Cheer" in French), and it was created specifically for the winter of 1606-1607. In addition, Champlain was a "bon vivant" ("high liver" or "jolly companion" in French). He appreciated fine food and enjoyed lively, sociable mealtimes.
The Order of Good Cheer : Its Rules
The Order of Good Cheer was a community meal that was held on a regular basis. In Champlain's written account of his life from 1604 to 1612, known as "The Voyages", which was written in 1613, he outlined the rules for The Order of Good Cheer:
"This Order consisted of a chain which we used to place with certain little ceremonies about the neck of one of our people, commissioning him for that day to go hunting. The next day it was conferred upon another, and so on in order. All vied with each other to see who could do the best, and bring back the finest game. We did not come off badly, nor did the Indians who were with us".
Essentially, each colonist took a turn at creating the community meal, and soon each colonist tried to outdo one another, with each trying to catch the finest fish, and fowl and game for their communal table, resulting in grand celebrations that included entertainment, speeches and merry-making, all of which led to improved diet and health, and high morale among the colonists at Porte Royale.
As well, the local Native American people - the Mikma'q - were also invited to share and partake in the feast and merry-making. With the colonists having something to look forward to during the long, harsh winter of 1606-1607, morale was high and the colonists were less disheartened by the severe cold. Furthermore, nutrition was better per colonist because the foodstuffs were shared more effectively. After the end of that winter, none of the colonists had died, proving that Champlain's idea was brilliant.
The Order of Good Cheer was a type of Thanksgiving celebration whose purpose was to have the French colonists be grateful for the festive communal feasts that were held on a regular basis during the winter of 1606-1607, in addition to raising their spirits, morale, and health, by providing ample fresh food and drink for each colonist.
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