Among the unusual municipal decrees in South Gironde, there was the one taken, in 2022, by the municipal council of Sauveterre-de-Guyenne. Not without humor, he prohibited the inhabitants of the town from going to the Bayonne festivals. A decree that is now obsolete because the Basque festivities no longer take place on the same dates as Sauveterre celebrates its wines. He had also won a prize in the competition for the most unusual municipal decree.
In the genre, the one that the Ruchelais elected officials took during the last municipal council is not bad either. It contains a certain number of measures aimed at facilitating the movement of Santa Claus during Christmas night. “We took this order because during the night of December 24 to 25, the sky is particularly congested. So, to guarantee safety, it is necessary to regulate the organization, parking and air traffic in particular, in order to prevent any risk of accident and to facilitate the distribution of gifts by the old man,” explains the Mayor Raymond Viandon.
Drunk state
Santa Claus is therefore authorized to fly over the town between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. The second article asks the citizens to leave food for the reindeer, who are making great efforts, and a kind word for the old bearded man. “Initially, we had thought of offering him a glass of mulled wine, but we decided against it, in order to avoid seeing him driving drunk,” specifies the first magistrate.
Landing spaces must be provided on each roof and Santa Claus is authorized to graze his reindeer on the square and at the football stadium. “The idea came from a friend of David Belin, a municipal councilor, who brought it up. We found it funny. So we took the order. This was inserted in ''L'Écho ruchelais'', the December municipal bulletin, so that the population was aware. That reassures everyone,” jokes the councilor.
