Daily writing prompt

What’s the most interesting local custom you’ve encountered?

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We lived in a small hamlet in the hills of the Charente, France for seven years, and each year in May/June the neighbourhood party was held (Fête des Voisins). This often involved a long period of standing around before drink was offered/allowed until the last person had arrived. Every year followed suit; sampling the homemade food and drink (mostly alcohol) which we had all contributed. One year my wife was formally congratulated on her tarte au citron (lemon tart) and a lovely old chap from the hamlet would once again pour us all a generous glass of Pinot Charente (a fortified homemade wine). One year we took along a new English neighbour who looked aghast into the bottom of her glass to see the multitude of tiny flies remaining – an annual tradition…