The world’s only quadrennial newspaper, published once every four years, returned to newsstands in France on Thursday with the release of a new issue of the satirical publication La Bougie du Sapeur.

The peculiarity of this 20-page tabloid is that the newspaper is published only on February 29, that is, once in a leap year, reports the BBC, taken over by Agerpres.

Its first edition was published in 1980, and Thursday’s edition was the 12th.

Conceived by a group of friends who “wanted a laugh”, La Bougie du Sapeur has a circulation of 200,000 copies.

The French newspaper has a selling price of €4.90, which more than covers production costs.

“After the first issue sold out in two days, the newsstands insisted on more copies, so I said, ‘Okay, but only after four years!’ – said editor Jean d’Indy, whose main profession is to run the French equivalent of the magazine. jockey club

“The newspaper is still published by several friends. We meet in a bar and share different ideas over a glass. We have a lot of fun, and if the readers have fun too, it’s icing on the cake,” added Jean d’Indy.

“This is French humor and it doesn’t translate into other languages”

Adopting a style that combats political correctness, La Bougie du Sapeur is organized like a regular newspaper, with sections on politics, sports, international affairs, art, puzzles and celebrity gossip.

But his articles are designed as humorous comments. The main headline of the 2024 edition – “We will all become intelligent” – is printed above an article about how artificial intelligence is replacing exams and intellectual achievements.

The second most important article – titled “What men need to know before becoming women” – explains a number of elements described as “problems” faced by men who want to transform into the opposite sex.

“It’s French humor and it doesn’t translate into other languages,” says Jean d’Indy. “We try to be funny, but not mean. Let’s make fun of trouble without cruelty,” he added.

Where does the name of the newspaper come from?

The BBC notes that there is a short article on its international affairs pages reminding the French of the “easiest to forget” of modern British prime ministers – Liz Truss.

And in sports, the editors recommend creating a Winston Churchill award for the first person to be eliminated from the Olympics. The idea is based on the fact that Churchill’s motto, according to a French newspaper, was “No sport.”

The newspaper also contains a plot from the TV series “Drowning in the Pool”, the next series of which will be published in 2028.

La Bougie du Sapeur is named after one of the first French cartoon characters, Le Sapeur Camembert. He was a thin soldier who appeared in comics about army life in the 1890s.

The newspaper does not appear on the Internet, it can only be bought at newsstands.

“I hope that every four years we become a breath of fresh air. Nowadays, people also need to be able to laugh,” Jean d’Indy said.