Double Trouble

Every year on August 15, Pleucadeuc in Brittany hosts a festival day for twins and triplets and quadruplets, who mostly arrive in identical outfits. It's been running for twenty years and attracts siblings and their families from all over the world. Even the mayor of the village has twin daughters.  Other countries and continents see something similar happening - Ireland, Poland, Germany, Australia, the South Pacific and Asia, Nigeria and Ghana, all have twins festival days. The biggest one claims to be in America. Of course in Twinsburg - Idaho. Except their celebration lasts for three days, over the first full weekend in August. There's even a Twins Festival page on FB

As an only child this is quite fascinating and also a bit disappointing. The 'only child music festival', the 'only child wine festival', the 'only child cruises to the Caribbean', sound quite  grim. However, Twin Music Festivals and Twin Wine Festivals sound great and do take place. The biggest Twin Festival in the Southern Hemisphere is apparently in Melbourne and the biggest in Latin America is in Mexico. A couple of rather nice destinations. The Montreal Comedy Festival even seems to include a parade of twins - a parade for the 'only child' just doesn't cut it.  My godson who lives in Canada has identical twin daughters. Not sure what the provision is there for twin anything. There's an organisation in the UK called Twins UK which provides all sorts of useful links for twins, triplets and quadruplets.

There are also conventions. For example 'Triplets in Charm City' - meaning Baltimore - was held in July this year. More flippantly, triplets made it into one of our favourite animations - The Triplets of Belleville/Belleville Rendez-vous.

This all may sound a bit tongue-in-cheek. But the reality of having organisations who cater for this market, I would imagine for the families who look for and need their services, is an absolute god-send, as well as good business.