They live in one of the coldest parts of the United States and yet, every year, they try to push back as far as possible the date when they will turn their radiators back on. Welcome to New England, the region where sobriety rhymes with identity.
"To those who think I'm completely crazy, they're right!" The sentence is signed by Brian Chevalier, 36, who posted it on social media on December 19, 2021, when he finally resolved to turn his radiator back on. His two hats, two pairs of socks, two shirts, two jackets, and two hoodies did nothing: the outside temperature being -7 ° C that day, he had to end his long days without heating, a challenge he has set himself every year for fifteen years.
Hoping to beat his record of last year, Brian Chevalier has reoffended, this fall, with the support of 28,000 people who encourage him on his Facebook and Twitter accounts, reports the "Wall Street Journal". Obviously, the rise in gas, oil, and electricity prices motivates the Americans from Rhode Island even more, but this "sobriety contest" has been part of the culture of this region of the United States for years.
A lie told to children
Emily Scully, a city clerk in South Portland, Maine, grew up thinking for years that it was absolutely forbidden to turn on the heating in her home until Oct. 15. It was not until her twentieth birthday that her parents confessed their lie and she finally learned the truth: "We were all told that when we were children!" exclaims the young woman to the "Wall Street Journal", who admits to having felt a little stupid during the big revelation.
Depriving oneself of heating and, therefore, being cold, is a noble cause in New England. It is part of the culture of the inhabitants and their traditions. "Are you a genuine New Englishman?" asked the Boston Globe recently: "If you've ever turned your heating back on, the answer is no. No heating before Halloween could be our regional currency. It should be noted that in Rhode Island, it was 8 ° C at the end of October.
Open windows to capture heat
The rules of the challenge, as set by Brian Chevalier, are simple: "No heating means no heating." So there is no question of having electric heating blankets, quickly turning on a radiator, the oven, or the wood stove of the house. This digital marketing executive now says he opens the windows of his home "when the outside temperature is around 10 ° C to capture heat".
He admits to tolerating the cold very well when he is moving but having a lot of trouble in the morning when he gets out of his shower. Another very unpleasant moment is when he sits on his couch in front of his television to watch a football match: "It's really where you feel the cold," he says. Another follower of this challenge adds: "If your pipes do not freeze, you can sleep and work decently, that's enough, the rest is luxury!"
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