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Soufflaculs of Nontron
French festivity / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Soufflaculs de Nontron is a popular tradition in the town of Nontron, in the French department of Dordogne in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. Initially widespread in the south of France, this carnival festival has survived in only a few localities, most notably Nontron. The day's celebrations are marked by the parade of the Soufflaculs, dressed in nightgowns and white cotton bonnets, whose mission is to march through the town with a bellows, chasing away any evil spirits hiding under women's skirts.
During this masquerade, which dates back to the Middle Ages, people originally dressed up to mock the rich, the ecclesiastics and the powerful. Despite economic and political difficulties in remaining active from one year to the next, this carnival remains the major event in local festive life. Listed in France's Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2010, the Soufflaculs of Nontron have become famous for their comic, caricatured and satirical vision of society.