Hon. Fabian Manning: Today, I am pleased to present Chapter 76 of “Telling Our Story.”

Colleagues, through previous Chapters 42 and 43, I informed you of some unique facts of my province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Today, I want to add a few more to that list.

I am sure that many of us here in this chamber and throughout the globe, for that matter, would wonder how we could live and work without wireless communication. It has changed our world drastically, and we can debate at some other time the pros and cons of that change. But for today, I want you to know that on December 12, 1901, Guglielmo Marconi raised a 150-meter-long antenna, which was attached to a kite, over Signal Hill in St. John’s, Newfoundland. This antenna received the world’s first transatlantic signals ever sent via radio waves.

Another fundamental change in the past century is how we travel around the world. Once again, our province played a pivotal role in the origin of aviation.

At 1:45 p.m. on June 14, 1919, John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown lifted off Lester’s Field in St. John’s aboard their modified Vickers Vimy airplane. It was not an easy flight. They battled heavy fog and only barely missed the top of the trees during takeoff. They lost radio contact after a short time in the air, and with a failed generator, they soon lost their heating source and the ability to communicate through their intercom system. They ran into a major snowstorm, and it is said that Brown had to climb onto the wings and clear the engines. I guess the action of de-icing had its beginning here also.

Through it all, the pilots persevered and beat the odds. At 8:40 a.m. on June 15, 1919, after less than 16 hours’ flying time, they made landfall in County Galway, Ireland, making their endeavour the first non-stop transatlantic flight. A small amount of mail was also carried on the flight, making it the very first transatlantic airmail flight as well. It all began on that rock we know and love as the island portion of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Royal St. John’s Regatta is the oldest annual sporting event in North America, with documented proof of boat races taking place in 1816. It is known as the largest garden party in the world, drawing crowds of up to 50,000 people to the shores of Quidi Vidi Lake each year. Regatta Day is also the only civic holiday in North America that is determined by the weather, more specifically which way the wind blows and how much of it blows. Safety is paramount.

Then we have the biggest little street in North America known far and wide as George Street in downtown St. John’s. People from all over the world have made their way to these two city blocks that hold the most pubs per square feet in Canada. You will not need to have Google Maps on your phone to go enjoy a night of bar-hopping on George. There is a great variety of music and restaurants, and the place is rich with some of the best entertainers our province has to offer. If you are musically inclined and want to join in the festive mood, you may end up on a stage singing along with one of our local musicians. If memory serves me correctly, my good friend Senator Gold is fully aware of the opportunity to take the stage on George Street — the locals are still talking about his performance there a few years ago.

Around the year 0, the Beothuk people migrated from Labrador to the island of Newfoundland, becoming our first inhabitants. Their extinction is a sad part of our history that I will tell you about at a later date.

In 1907, Newfoundland was given dominion status by the United Kingdom, thus making Newfoundland its own independent country. It remained a dominion until the rest of Canada decided to join us in 1949. The details of that story I will leave for another day also: stay tuned. Thank you.

Hon. Fabian Manning: Now, on to Chapter 70 of “Telling Our Story.”

There are many Christmas traditions that are unique to Newfoundland and Labrador, such as “mummering” and leaving Purity syrup for Santa instead of milk. Another tradition is known as “Tibb’s Eve.”

Although the term itself is quite old, according to Dr. Phil Hiscock of the Memorial University’s Department of Folklore, the idea of Tibb’s Eve as a particular day on the calendar — one day before Christmas Eve — is specific to Newfoundland and Labrador. He explained that some time around the Second World War, people along the south coast of Newfoundland began to associate December 23 with the phrase “Tibb’s Eve” and deemed it to be the first occasion that it would be acceptable to have a few Christmas drinks. In many of our outport communities, it became a day where the men would visit each other’s homes for a taste.

Because Christmas Eve was still part of the Advent, and that observance was almost as sober as the Lenten season, Dr. Hiscock indicated that most traditional Christians would never consider taking a nip before Christmas Day prior to World War II. Tibb’s Eve became a lighthearted means to extend the season, much like workers in the 19th century would lengthen their weekends by taking Saint Monday off from work.

Tibb’s Eve is sometimes known by several different names, depending on what community one comes from. In some places it is called “Tipp’s Eve” or “Tipsy’s Eve.” As Dr. Hiscock said, “For someone who thinks of it as a day to get tipsy, then Tipsy Eve is perfect.”

He said:

. . . it’s all based in the kind of humour that people have had for hundred of years. So, there’s no reason why people should not make humorous adjustments to it in the present.

Several hundred years ago in England, “tib” was slang for a woman who — shall we say — was loose on her morals. Historians believe that may be the reason there is not a “St. Tibb’s Day,” similar to a St. Patrick’s Day or St. Brigid’s Day. There were many English plays throughout the 1600s that would feature roles with the name “Tibb.”

A very popular drink on Tibb’s Eve in Newfoundland is known as “slush.” It is a mixture of vodka, Purity syrup, club soda or sparkling wine, with a splash of freshly squeezed lime juice served over a full glass of crushed ice. Once again, the ingredients vary in different communities of the province, but wherever it is poured, it is a great way to kick off the Christmas season.

That explains how Tibb’s Eve became associated with December 23 along the south coast of Newfoundland, but the phrase itself holds the key to its Christmastime connection. Dr. Hiscock also said that Tibb’s Eve became an old-fashioned way to say “never,” as in “the day that does not exist.” Because it did not exist, Tibb’s Eve was a non-time, similar to several other silly phrases in the English language, such as “the twelfth of never” or “when two Sundays fall together,” just to name a couple.

So, friends, during the holiday season, when someone asks me, “Would there ever be a time when you would leave Newfoundland to live somewhere else?” my reply will always be, “On Tibb’s Eve.”

Merry Christmas.