From what I've read over the years, here, I've always thought of it as a kitchen party, i.e. get together, usually in someone's home, with food, music, stories, dance, if anyone wants, and good company. Out here my folks just called them "get togethers"...that was long before we'd ever heard of "ceilidh." I wish I'd known before they passed so I could ask if my greatgranddad and ggrandma ever mentioned them, being from Nova Scotia themselves.