Sixty years ago today, on January 10, 1965 (December 8, 1964 in the lunar calendar), the inhabitants of the island of Reunion celebrated the Sugar Festival. For more than a century, Reunion's economy was almost entirely sugar-based. Sugar cane cultivation accounts for more than half of the arable land. More than 70% of the population is engaged in sugar cane cultivation. Those who attend the closing ceremony of the Sugar Festival must walk barefoot through a 7-meter-long "carpet" of hot stones. It is said that this ancient ritual, which originated in the West Indies, has been going on for hundreds of years.