Driving the demon out of Detroit

I'm so sorry I missed this! On March 21st a group of Detroiters revived a tradition of driving a demon, the Nain Rouge, out of the city. Not that I believe in demons, but what fun! I'm all for anything that might improve the spirit of Detroit.

According to legend the Nain Rouge, or red dwarf, has been plaguing the city since the 1700s. The two-foot tall evil gnome has supposedly made appearances before every awful event in Detroit's history.

To ward off his bad luck an annual parade, called Le Marche du Nain Rouge, was traditionally held in the spring to banish him from the city. The first parade was in 1710.

I grew up in Detroit and think I know a lot about the place, but yesterday was the first time I'd ever heard of this.

Two-hundred people showed up for the 300th anniversary parade on March 21st. It culminated with burning the Nain Rouge in effigy & I really wish I would have been there. You can read more about it here.


Marche du Nain Rouge - Burning of the Effigy
Originally uploaded by billyvoo