La Guiannée (or La Guignolée), PBS is celebrated on December 31 (New Year's Eve) It is a French

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...

New Year's Eve tradition that is still practiced in two towns in the United States. The tradition related to poor people being able to ask the more wealthy for food and drink at the celebrations of winter. Customarily a troupe of traveling male singers went from door to door to entertain and ring in the new year. Hosts were expected to give them food and drink. Other sources say the young men were seeking donations for

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Vio ...

.Ekberg, Carl J., Colonial Ste. Genevieve: An Adventure on the Mississippi Frontier, Tucson, AZ: Patrice Press, 1996, , pp.320-321 Begun as a way for the poor to be given gratuities by the rich, it also became a community social event for young men to visit with the families of young women. Over time, the practice became an occasion for visiting with relatives and friends and was more or less a traveling feast. At first it was carried on only by young men, often in costume; women joined the party in the 20th century. In many years, the people appeared in disguise, as part of the celebration was a kind of overturning of the common order. This tradition has been practiced annually since 1722 in

Prairie du Rocher, Illinois Prairie du Rocher ("The Rock Prairie" in French) is a village in Randolph County, Illinois, United States. Founded in the French colonial period in the American Midwest, the community is located near bluffs that flank the east side of the Miss ...

. It has been revived in

Ste. Genevieve, Missouri Ste. Genevieve (french: Sainte-Geneviève ) is a city in Ste. Genevieve Township and is the county seat of Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri, United States. The population was 4,999 at the 2020 census. Founded in 1735 by French Canadian colonist ...

. Both were former French colonial villages settled by French Canadians in the eighteenth century. In the latter town, current celebrations feature singers and musicians, attired in colonial dress, who begin their night's journey at the local

American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is a non-profit organization of U.S. war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militi ...

Hall. They make their way through all the restaurants, bars, nursing homes and high school gyms, ending at midnight at the Knights of Columbus Hall. Translation of the words of the traditional song, ''La Guignolée'':

''Good evening master and mistress,''
''And all who live with you.''
''For the first day of the year, ''
''You owe us La Guignolée.'' ''If you have nothing to give, ''
''A chine of meat or so will do.''
''A chine of meat is not a big thing, ''
''Only ninety feet long.'' ''Again, we don't ask for very much,''
''Only the oldest daughter of the house.''
''We will give her lots of good cheer,''
''And we will surely warm her feet.'' ''Now, we greet you,''
''And beg you to forgive us please.''
''If we have acted a little crazy, ''
''We meant it in good fun.'' ''Another time we'll surely be careful''
''To know when we must come back here again.''
''Let us dance La Guenille, ''
''-- La Guenille, La Guenille!''

''

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