Greased-pig wrestling was once a common community event. Then things got slippery

FARGO — If you’ve never wrestled a greased pig, you’re not alone.

Once a staple of small-town festivals across the region, greased pig chases are now much less common, and for good reason.

They’re not just dirty. In Minnesota, at least, they are illegal.

Deep in the state’s legal code is a curious, seldom-enforced statute that bans wrestling a greased pig or chasing a turkey or chicken.

The law is a reminder of how quickly cultural norms can change and how long laws can linger on the books.

It’s also a testament to how hard communities sometimes cling to beloved traditions, even after state lawmakers tell them to stop.

As four Minnesota men learned, there was always a loophole: They avoided punishment simply by arguing the pig they wrestled wasn’t greased.

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