Multiples rally in US town of Twinsburg for twice the fun

TWINSBURG: Something was in the air in this small Ohio town founded by identical twins 200 years ago; on Saturday, endless sets of twins made the singly born feel out of place.

Though the Twins Days Festival is open to all those of multiple births, its essence is a celebration of what it means to be twins – identical or fraternal.

Organisers invited people taking part to dress in costume representing a country from which their family heralded, and most participants played along.

Events at the weekend festival included a talent show, a "double take" parade, and contests for the twins who looked most and least alike.

Many in Twinsburg seemed to fit that unusual-for-others notion of two people with unmatchable closeness – which started before they saw the light of day.

"Being twins, it's actually really awesome because you're automatically born with a best friend that you get to experience everything growing up together with. And nobody gets you like your twin," Carolyn Barrington said.

Added her twin brother Nathaniel, "Yep, couldn't have said it better myself."

Some twins tend to grumble about not having a birthday where the focus is all on them.

But then they often say, the family and social pluses make up for any little inconvenience. They don't usually get lonely, many of them note. After all, they didn't even get their own womb.

For identicals, there is the odd twist of being not always identifiable – even to one's own mom.

"It happens quite often – even with our parents when they were alive," identical Jon Anderson told AFP.

His mother "would call me Jack, and I'd say, I'm Jon!"

"One time, I had to show her my driver's license because she didn't believe me," he laughed.

For at least a day, here, nobody was the odd one out.

"We're home! It feels like we're home," said Diane Fiebert with her womb mate Donna Dawson in tow.