While most people are taking precautions so as not to contract the coronavirus that’s spreading rampantly throughout the world, a special group of French cartoon enthusiasts have no such fears. In fact, on March 7, France was home to a world record-breaking Smurf festival which was attended by more than 3,500 people in full blue costume who didn’t seem to care at all.
- The festival was held just a day before gatherings of that size were banned. Held in Landerneau, France, the group of Smurf enthusiasts wanted to hold the festival to make the Guinness World Record for the largest gathering ever held for the blue beings. One day later, on March 8, France banned gatherings of more than 1,000 people, so they got in just in time.
- “We must not stop living.” Despite the inherent risks in holding a massive public gathering while a serious virus is spreading at rapid speed, the mayor of Landerneau, Patrick Leclerc, was all for the Smurf festival, telling Agence France-Presse, “We must not stop living. It was the chance to say that we are alive.” Well, yes, except some people who attended might not be if they contracted coronavirus while attending…
- It was quite the party, it seems. The Washington Post reports that Smurf festival revelers turned up in costume and blue body paint to a parking lot, where they did conga lines to disco music played by a DJ dressed up as a Smurf himself.
- Some people really did not care. While no one should be so anxious about coronavirus that they’re paralyzed by fear, the blase attitude taken by many revelers was somewhat stunning. “There’s no risk, we’re Smurfs,” one attendee told AFP. “Yes, we’re going to Smurferize the coronavirus.” Yikes! Somehow I don’t think virology works that way. Oh well, I guess at least they had fun?
