CHIARIVARI, Our Yesterdays, Jefferson Co., MT USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. Files may be printed or copied for personal use only. "List transcribed and organized by Ellen Rae Thiel, thieljl@aol.com All rights reserved." Copyright, 1998 by Ellen Rae Thiel. This file may be freely copied for non-profit purposes. All other rights reserved. CHIARIVARI Charivari's were the main entertainment for honoring a newly married couple in the community. Friends and neighbors came from far and near, bringing noise makers, such as tin pans, and cow bells, and food and refreshments to be served later in the evening. The men usually took the groom and kept him away a good part of the evening, bringing him back in worse shape than when he left. The party went on all night until sun up. It wasn't unusual for the sleepy bride, getting up to prepare breakfast around eight in the morning, to have her eyes opened wide by the sight of a group of "Top Poker Players" still playing! No Union hours were observed at these festivities! Those were the home brew days, too. Usually a fiddler and a harmonica player furnished music for dancing. Ed Smith and Andy Hall were usually the ones that furnished the music. On one occasion, the dancing area became so crowded that the musicians were forced to climb up and sit on either side of the fireplace mantle of the home where the party was being held. From this high perch, Ed and Andy, often in tune and out of tune with each other, played and swayed to their hearts' content, providing their lively music for equally lively dancers. SUBMITTED BY MRS. MARY ELLEN MURPHY, MRS. MABEL MURPHY, AND MRS. PAUL T. SMITH