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French Funny Paper Sells Every 4 Years on February 29
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Intermediate
Intermediate
The satirical French newspaper 'La Bougie du Sapeur' is photographed at a newspaper shop in Paris, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. Satirical French newspaper La Bougie du Sapeur only comes out on Feb. 29, once every four years. Some friends started the leap year newspaper as a joke in 1980, so the one published Thursday was just its 12th edition. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

French Funny Paper Sells Every 4 Years on February 29

February 29th, 2024

In Paris, there's a funny newspaper called "La Bougie du Sapeur" that you can only buy on February 29th. It's special because it only comes out every four years on leap year day. It's full of silly jokes and stories that make fun of things that happened in the last four years. This newspaper began in 1980 when some friends decided to have a little fun. They named it after a character from comics who has his birthday on February 29th. The last time they sold this newspaper, in 2020, lots of people bought itβ€”a big surprise! The money they made helped people who think and learn differently, like those with autism. The people who make the newspaper like to make jokes that not everyone might think are okay. But they do it to make people smile even when times are tough. They believe that sometimes, you just have to laugh at things.
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πŸ’­ Discussion Questions


1
. What is special about the newspaper 'La Bougie du Sapeur' and when can you buy it?
2
. Why did the friends start the newspaper in 1980?
3
. Who did the money help from the last sale of the newspaper in 2020?

πŸ“– Vocabulary


🌐 Cultural context


The article is from France, where Paris is the capital city. France has a rich tradition of satire and humor in media. "La Bougie du Sapeur" is a satirical newspaper published once every four years on leap day, a quirk of the Gregorian calendar.

🧠 Further reading


Great Leap Forward
In China, between 1958 and 1962, there was a big plan called the Great Leap Forward. The leader of China, Mao Zedong, wanted to change the country from a farming place to a modern place with industries and factories. Mao thought that if people worked together on big farms and made lots of grain and also made things in factories in the countryside, the country would be stronger. People who worked for the government tried very hard to do what Mao wanted because they were afraid. They told lies about how much food they had and took too much food from the farmers, which made many people very hungry. A lot of people died because there was not enough food. Some people think that 15 million died, and some think even 55 million died. Mao also said that everyone had to farm together and no one could have their own small farm. If people tried to keep their own farm, they were treated very badly and called enemies. Everyone had to work very hard, sometimes in ways that were not very useful, and the big changes they were trying to make did not work well. Making things in the countryside did not go well because the plan was not good. The Great Leap Forward was so bad that it made China's money and work worth less, and it was one of the worst times for China's economy. An expert named Dwight Perkins said that even though the government spent a lot of money, they didn't make much more food or things, and it was all a big waste. After a while, Mao let other leaders who had good, practical ideas take over the day-to-day running of the country because the plan was not working.

Social media
Social media is a way for people to use the internet to share pictures, videos, and ideas. People can make their own profiles and talk with friends and others online. Social media is everywhere - on computers, phones, and tablets. It helps people stay in touch, learn new things, and have fun with games and blogs. It's all about connecting with others and sharing parts of your life online.

Autism rights movement
People who are part of the autism rights movement think about autism differently. They don't see it as a bad disease that needs to be cured. Instead, they see it as a different way some brains work, and that's okay. They want everyone to understand and accept people with autism just as they are. These people don't want services that try to make them look like everyone else; they want help that makes their lives better while letting them be themselves. The people in this movement think that being autistic is a natural thing and that it should be respected. They believe society should make it easier for autistic people to live their lives, not try to change them. This idea is different from others who think autism is a mistake in someone's genes or think it comes from things like vaccines, which is not true. The movement started gaining attention in the 1980s and 1990s. A man named Jim Sinclair was one of the first to say that autism shouldn't be cured. He started groups and wrote things that shared this idea with others. Some people agree with the autism rights movement, but not everyone. Some say that the movement is mostly led by people with autism who can speak and write well, so they might not understand the challenges faced by people with autism who also have a hard time learning things. These critics worry that the movement doesn't speak for all autistic people or their families.