The Conscript Festival dates back to the Second Empire, when the Jourdan law of 1798 imposed conscription on young men aged 20 to 25. A fateful date transformed over the years into an alibi for celebrating before potentially leaving for several years of military service.
In 1850, two young Caladois (the gentiles from Villefranche) presented themselves at their barracks in black clothes overlooked by a gibus. Under the Third Republic “the men of 41 years” joined the forces to celebrate the anniversary of their draft.