For Marko and Nico Martinovic, identical twins from Toronto who are famous for posting pranks on YouTube, the world's largest gathering of look-alikes learns about other twin hijinks There is probably no better place for
"We traded at school. We traded many times," said 30-year-old Marko Martinovic.
"One set of twins dropped out of school together. The other twins lied to each other's wives. So this is an amazing story."
Wearing matching burgundy T-shirts and hats, the Martinovitches attended the annual Twins Day weekend in Twinsburg, Ohio, about 25 miles southwest of Cleveland. attended the festival.
Founded in 1819 by identical twins Moses and Aaron Wilcox. The town, with a population of just under 20,000, sets aside a few days each year to celebrate the "uniqueness" of twins and multiple births.
The festival began in 1976 to celebrate the bicentenary of his birth, and the decision of the town named after the Wilcox twins to set aside a day for him each year to celebrate the twins. was dropped. Since then, at over 47 festivals he has attracted over 80,000 twins and multiples.
For three days, pairs of identical twins, dressed in the same clothes, roam the streets and get together to tie themselves together as twins. The event also attracts researchers, a potential goldmine of human data for scientific research.
"It's great to have so much support from other twins," Marko said. "It's a little strange to see how many twins actually exist in the world...they come together like this every year."
"They We are united as one,” Nico continued. "So it's really cool to see the bond that everyone has here. It's really cool to be part of that."
The final number of twins and multiples registered this year is 2,145. people, but this does not include the many who came and were not counted. Organizers estimate he will draw between 20,000 and 30,000 people for the entire festival.
"This put the city of Twinsburg in the spotlight, and it probably didn't get that kind of recognition," said Twinsburg Mayor Sam Scaffid.
A 'gold mine' of scientific research
The festival also allows researchers to bring together subjects with identical DNA to determine if a particular condition is influenced by genetic or environmental factors. It offers a unique scientific opportunity to find out if
Researchers set up tents at the festival grounds to allow twins to be tested voluntarily. This year, researchers from the Monell Chemosensory Center in Philadelphia, West He, a biometrics researcher at the University of Virginia, and a dermatology researcher at the nearby University of Cleveland Hospital participated.
"You can ask some questions about skin disease. This year, we have one focused on COVID vaccination and his response to COVID disease," said a researcher at the University Hospital. One he says Tyler Coleman.
"This will help answer a very interesting research question." He said that the Day celebrations were truly a 'gold mine' for the study subjects.
"This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Probably one of the few places in the world where so many twins from all over the world come together."
Double Take Parade
The Makeshift Research Center is held at Glen Chamberlin Park in town, along with most Twins Day events. There will also be a mini fair with food stands and booths, as well as activities like a twin talent show and a volleyball tournament.
The contest includes prizes for the twins who traveled the longest distance to attend. Most of the twins are from the United States, but the festival also has an international reach. This year we have twins from Spain, Japan, Iceland, Syria, Sweden and Africa.
"I read it maybe 20 years ago while vacationing in Australia. Then I talked to my twin sister, Anno, and after a lot of thought, I decided. This year. I turned 40 and decided to participate," said Ulrika Carlstedt Jönsson from Stockholm.
"Overwhelming, amazing, crazy and lovely."
The highlight of the festival is undoubtedly the Double Take Parade. Hundreds of spectators gather to view the sea from their lawn chairs lined up on both sides of Ravenna Road, the town's main strip.
This year's theme was "Welcome to the Jungle," with more than 2,000 twins descending on Twinsburg, many dressed like tigers {140
"Walking the parade route is like walking the Macy's Day Parade," said driving from Dayton, Ohio. Steve Nagel said. , I mean, the fact that they line up for us in the street is just amazing. ''
He and his brother Jeff have been coming for his 34 years, and the fellow twins they met have become like family. , they help.
"Why don't you spend the weekend celebrating the things you can't buy?" said Steve Nagel.
"It's what we were born into and we look forward to celebrating it each year with everyone else."
Others Opportunities to bond with twins
Twins and multiples meet, take pictures with other sets of twins, exchange and connect fun twin stories.
"I think we are with like-minded people because , because when you come in here, you can only see us, the double and the triple." Keith Wells, 59, from Maryland, who came with his brother Kevin.
"We can all empathize with life. So no matter what age, gender, age, anything that we can empathize with. It doesn't matter. We are all , we can empathize.”
It is also a way to learn about the experiences of others. Many of the festival attendees identify themselves as either A twins or B twins.
"I kind of hear 'a talkative person, a social person,'" said Joni Grant, twin sister of Jamie Drapelle from Lincoln, Nebraska.
{116 Mr. Nagel compares single twins with married twins, how their spouses accept them, and whether their children have two fathers or two mothers. He said he would ask questions to find out."It is truly astonishing where else we can find this wealth of knowledge. More than just people telling their thoughts. These people do it. I've been feeling it, they've lived it," Nagel said.
"Every time we drive home we say, 'Oh my God, it's really normal here.' are experiencing the same things we experience throughout our lives.”