Acadia
"Ave Maris Stella" (Star of the Sea, We Hail Thee)

Words by: unknown
Music by: unknown
Adopted: 1884, revised 1992

Acadia is the French speaking area of eastern North America, primarily in the Maritime provinces of Canada. Chosen at the Acadian national congress of 1884, the original lyrics are in Latin, probably in honour of the religion of most Acadians, Catholicism. As for the anthem, based on the minutes, it seems that total and full improvisation was at its origins. Indeed, members of the commission responsible for reviewing the selection of the flag and the anthem had wisely concluded that time did not allow them to review both issues at the same time. Therefore, they passed a resolution referring the issue of a national anthem to a future congress. However, once the flag had been introduced to the delegates by Father Richard, he started singing the Ave Maris Stella as if to close the congress. That is when someone shouted: "we need a song!" Then, Pascal Poirier (future senator) took up the gauntlet: "this national air (...) that is it (...) found in a wonderful way that shows the finger of God (...) it is the Ave Maris Stella". The resolution was submitted in the ongoing session, where the assembly approved it.

At the 1992 meeting of the Société Nationale de l'Acadie, the anthem was revised somewhat, the first and last verses of the original Latin lyrics were kept, but the second, third and fourth verses were now in French (the language spoke in Acadia).

See also: Canada.