I must hunt up photos from the Old Men burning sessions my fellow village friends have. I remember how the village boys would prowl the by-lanes of our village with the Old Man in a wheelchair or in a handcart making a whole lot of noise and with tremendous fanfare thank anyone who made a money donation.

This would be done before New Year’s Eve mass and after mass (in a time when firecrackers were a dear expense), everyone would rush home to the Old Man and set fire to it amidst much song and dance and drink. (I think this warrants a post now)