A pig pickin' (Also known as rolling a pig, pig roast or as the true Cajuns say, a "Boucherie") is a type of party or gathering hel in the American South which involves the barbecuing of a whole hog (the castrated male pig or boar, bred for consumption at about 12 months old). Historically most pig-pickin's were gatherings of family and friends when the weather became cool enough to butcher without flies. Many families traditionally have a pig pickin' for Thanksgiving or Christmas. In recent times many communities hold cook-offs during festivals, where chefs pit their passed-down sauce recipes and techniques against other chefs for prize money. Often the cooks have very sophisticated cookers on trailers for such events.