THE NEW, OLD TRADITION

I spent Christmas at he 'in-laws' this year, six gluttonous days of gorgeous and endless meals, 'snacks'(usually as large as an average dinner), and puddings galore, combined with wine, beer, spirits and cider at anytime past lunch till bed. I ate so much over those days that my belly ended up in pain and became more 'rounded', I haven't felt the need to eat much since. The only panic being alone in the house with granny who almost choked on a peanut, leaving me a bit worried as she began to turn blueish and red in the face at the same time, luckily she got the peanut up before I had to try to not break her ribs or damage her back or organs by employing the 'heimlich manoeuvre', which is not something I am very well acquainted with, and didn't wish to employ on an old person with arthritis.
Anyway, one day between meals I picked up a copy of the local weekly newspaper', named unmemorably, like the 'Sussex advertiser' -you get the idea.
The first few pages offered little, then one story jumped out from the page like a whirlwind. The story was about a local small town celebration(that is open to all). The celebration was being congratulated for gaining national heritage status because it has been running every year for the last ten, making it a 'traditional event'. One called 'kicking the French man's head.
The 'game' requires one person holding 'the head' to beat his way through all the other drunk scrummers who are all competing to try 'kicking the French man's head' and get it to throw through a loop to win.
As well as being the name of the sport it is also the name of the days festivities, although for advertising and heritage reasons, a different name has now been decided to be used, but it's older name is still what those attending refer to it as.
Some would think it shocking or outrageous, but this is the same area, near where the town of Lewis has their annual festival of Pope/Catholic burning, as well as a side 'celebration' that features different types, like the dummy Gypsy family they burnt in a caravan while cheering along, or immigrant effigies being burnt to ashes in ever more ingenious ways. These are just two examples to give you a clue as to the mindset of all involved with the days fun, and the ideals of the locals who attend. But with the French man's head, thankfully the head is actually some kind of barrel and not a real head.
Another story was concerned with the uncovering of an ancient law that gave anyone the right to shoot (with a bow) any French person if he or she was in any Church grounds, this law had never been repealed and was just forgotten about when gun powder became the weapon of choice for armies, and also, every family owned at least one bow so it was useful in case of invasion. All this is interesting from a historical or amusing perspective, but the papers glee at reporting these stories was just a bit too enthusiastic