In the process of adding badly needed shelves and re-arranging collectibles in the aftermath, I came across a handmade wooden noisemaker that my grandmother had given me years ago.

It seems that the old Cajun custom of “charivari” applied to she and my grandfather when they married. He was a widower and charivari was the custom of serenading the newlyweds on their wedding night with a loud and boisterous celebration.

Someone came to their home with this wooden, ratchet-type of clapper, and for whatever reason, left it there.

She said that for the longest time, whenever they came to town, she tried to remember to put the clapper in the wagon, to try to return it to its rightful owner, but never succeeded.

Over the years, research showed that it is similar to the ones used in church on Holy Thursday. How and why one of their friends had one in their possession is still a mystery.

I have my grandparents wedding certificate framed where I see it daily and it reminds me that this large noisemaker is still hanging around here somewhere and has been for a while, because according to the certificate, they were married in November of 1915.

Georgie Manuel.

October 23,2011.