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Belgium: public holidays, bank holidays, school holidays. Holidays in Belgium National holidays in Belgium
About 2,000 different holidays, festivals, festivities and processions are held. No other European country can boast such a variety of holiday celebrations. Among all the splendor of events, it is worth highlighting, of course, folklore and religious celebrations, since it is one of the zealously venerating Catholic countries and has a rich folk culture.
Holidays in Belgium are very colorful, bright, and unusual. You can witness festive processions and street celebrations, religious processions and colorful carnivals, plunge into the world of music and art from different countries, or watch the performances of huge folk puppets. The most impressive sights can be seen in February, March, May and August.
The main festivals of the countryBelgium Day
A national annual holiday celebrated on July 21. On this day, a military parade is organized on the main square of Brussels, after which folk festivities and performances by musicians begin here, and the holiday ends with a magnificent fireworks display. Some countries are completely free to enter.
It is the most popular among the mass celebrations of the Belgian people, and in the ranking of European festivals it is second only to the Venice Festival. The carnival takes place in the small provincial town of Binche, not far from, every year before the start of Lent and lasts three days.
The first day is dedicated to a theatrical performance with a procession through the city in carnival costumes. On the second day, young people dance in circles in the city center on the square, having previously divided into groups in accordance with their political views. At the end of the second day, colorful fireworks are released into the sky.
Finally, the third day of the carnival is the high point of the inhabitants. Carnival participants wear national costumes and cover their faces with wax masks. The procession heads to the city administration, scattering oranges along the way to spectators, which are considered good luck to catch.
Ommegang Festival
The second most popular holiday in Belgium. This is a folk festival that takes place from June 30 to July 2. Ommegang has been celebrated for a very long time, its history dates back to the mid-14th century. Then it was a religious procession, and over the centuries Ommegang acquired the status of a nationwide carnival celebration. becomes a medieval village, entry to which is only possible for persons dressed in 16th-century costume. More than a thousand carnival participants portray members of the imperial family, court servants, soldiers, townspeople, etc. The end of the holiday is a general procession of its participants and a grand concert.
Dudu holiday
Held on Trinity Day and throughout the following week. This holiday is celebrated in honor of the victory over the plague that struck the city in the middle of the 14th century. Then, in 1349, the first religious procession was organized, after which the plague subsided and the inhabitants of Mons were saved. In memory of their miraculous healing, people organize an annual Dudu festival, which is now a carefully organized and very spectacular theatrical performance.
Brussels flower carpet
It is one of the Belgian holidays held in the summer, in August. The festival takes place every two years in the central square of Brussels, the Grand Place. During the holiday, the square is a real carpet of begonias of the tuberose grandiflora variety, which are skillfully combined into a single whole with a system of fountains that maintain the freshness and fragrance of the flowers. You can look at all this splendor from the balcony of the Town Hall. The holiday ends with fireworks and a light and sound performance.
Feast of the Holy Blood in Bruges
It is one of the religious holidays in Belgium and again has deep roots in the past. A huge procession of festival participants, numbering tens of thousands of people, dresses in costumes of knights and monks. And the procession of the characters itself is a reminder of the time of the first crusades, at the end of which the Flemish Count was awarded a jug with the blood of Christ.
If you are lucky enough to be in Belgium during the holidays, be sure to take the opportunity to see the whole celebration with your own eyes - you won’t regret it!
Holidays and events in Belgium 2019: the most important festivals and highlights, national holidays and events in Belgium. Photos and videos, descriptions, reviews and timings.
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About two thousand holidays take place in Belgium every year, many of which carry integral features of folklore heritage.
Perhaps the most grandiose festival - the carnival in Binche - attracts many tourists to Belgium in February. The first day of the holiday is reserved for costumed processions and performances on the streets of the city. On the second day, groups of young people, divided by political views, dance in circles in the square, and in the evening rainbow fireworks soar into the sky. On the third day, the Zhils walk through the streets of the city in national clothes and wax masks with round glasses and throw oranges at passers-by. The Belgians believe that catching an orange promises great luck.
The Feast of the Holy Blood in Bruges is a significant religious event that forms part of the country's cultural heritage and goes back centuries. Every year, tens of thousands of people take part in the solemn procession, wearing the costumes of ancient knights and monks. The procession serves as a reminder of the first crusades, after which the Count of Flemish received a jug of Christ's blood as a reward.
The Senneke Festival in Brussels, celebrated every two years, has a new theme and scenario each time. For two days, the city streets become a platform for theatrical performances, where participants in the events show their ability to improvise.
On Trinity Day, Mons celebrates the Dudu festival, symbolizing the victory over the plague. The celebration has both a secular and religious direction. The holiday opens with a solemn procession through the entire city, whose participants are dressed in medieval costumes. The climax of the event is a recreated battle of St. George with the dragon.
From June 30 to July 2, Brussels hosts the ancient Ommegang holiday, which has long lost its religious significance, but is still bright and memorable. A medieval village is recreated in the city square; guests of the holiday dress up in 16th-century costumes. The holiday ends with a general procession, which turns into a grand concert.
The country's most important holiday, Belgium Day, is celebrated on July 21. On this day, the country became independent and every year a military parade takes place on the main square of Brussels, which is replaced by street celebrations with music and performances by artists, and the evening ends with a grand fireworks display. Some museums in the country open their doors to tourists completely free of charge on holiday.
A rather cruel holiday - the cat festival - takes place every three years. The event dates back to the deep Middle Ages, to the time of the Inquisition. Cats were considered witchcraft animals, and in the city of Ypres they were even thrown from bell towers. Similar actions were carried out on certain days with large crowds of people.
Since 1955, the cat festival in Belgium has been resumed. However, for humane reasons, living cats were replaced with plush ones.
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Sun 10 May
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Fri 22 May
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Sat 11 July
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Tue 21 July
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Sat 15 August
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September
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Sun 1 November
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Mon 2 November
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An overview of events that will be of interest to tourists planning to visit Belgium in 2018.
May 10 – Bruges, Ascension, Procession of the Holy Blood. This is a street performance that attracts up to 100,000 spectators annually; the procession reenacts the historical moment of the discovery of the main shrine of the city - a vessel with a particle of the blood of Jesus Christ. Accompanied by the performance of scenes from the Old and New Testaments, a church choir and music.
May 12 – Brussels, Zinneck parade. It brings together more than 1,500 participants who play live music without the use of technical means - sound amplification, soundtracks, etc., everyone moves around the parade without the use of motorized vehicles. This fun event aims to bring together the cultures of different communities and areas of Brussels.
May 13 – Ypres, Cat Parade “Kattenstoet”. This spectacular show has been held every year since 1955. It is dedicated to a local legend from the medieval period about how cats, which symbolized evil spirits, were thrown out from the central tower. Today, stuffed cats are thrown from the tower, participants wear cat costumes, and all the colorful props in the parade are dedicated to these cute animals.
May 20-21 – Barcelona, Pentecost and Whit Monday (closing). This is a church holiday dedicated to Monday, which comes after Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples of Jesus Christ.
May 25-27 – Brussels, Jazz weekend. These days, throughout the city, jazz orchestras play for free in the open air, in concert halls and bars. The public can enjoy live jazz in all its forms, from swing to bebop, blues, rock and world music, depending on the improvisation of the musicians who give their best performances to make this festival unforgettable.
May 27 – Mons, Trinity festival “Ducasse of Mons”. This is a procession where a reconstruction of the battle between St. George and the dragon, whose length is more than 10 meters, takes place. The figure of the dragon is carried by men in white robes, while the dragon "attacks" the public, and people in turn try to pluck some hairs from its tail, which are believed to bring good luck throughout the year.
June 16-26 – Brussels Film Festival. This international film festival, which has been running since 1983, showcases films in the genres of fantasy, science fiction and thrillers. The main prize of the film festival is “Golden Raven”. As part of this festival, an international competition of body art and body painting is also taking place.
June 23-24 – Waterloo, Reconstruction of the Battle of Waterloo. This is a large-scale colorful spectacle reproducing the historical battle between Napoleon's army and the Allied forces. The magnificent sets and costumes of the participants will completely immerse the audience in a bygone era. Here you can find out all the bivouacs, weapons, equipment, as well as watch cooking, shoot, visit farms, exhibitions, and there is a children’s headquarters for children.
July 4 and 6 – Brussels, Ommegang Page. This impressive costume show on the Grand Place illustrates the richness of Belgian national folklore and involves approximately 1,400 participants. The public will be able to watch the work of artisans of that time, watch a knight's tournament with famous horse games and foot battles, and also taste Ommegang beer, the recipe of which was specially developed for this event.
July 5-8 – Leuven, grand festival of rock and pop music “Rock Werchter”. Held annually since 1976, the festival attracts up to 150,000 spectators. The public can stay overnight in a specially organized campsite, which extends within a 3 km radius. from the epicenter of events - several stages, including under the roofs of huge pavilions.
July 13-15 – Bruges, “Cactus Festival”. This is an open-air alternative music festival in Minnewater Park where you can enjoy a cocktail of rock, reggae, world music and dance. Despite its international fame, the festival has managed to maintain a homely and cozy atmosphere with numerous attractions for children.
July 13-22 – Ghent, music and theater festival Ghent Festival. This spectacular event has been held for 175 years and includes free concerts, street performers, a fair, a variety of entertainment, fireworks and a huge cake.
July 20-22 and June 27-29 – Boom, electronic music festival “Tomorrowland”. The grand event was first organized in 2005 and has since become one of the largest and most famous music festivals in the world, with tickets selling out within minutes of going on sale. More than 300,000 people visit it annually.
July 21 – the whole country, Belgian Independence Day. One of the country's 12 national holidays, celebrated annually since 1890. Independence Day is accompanied by numerous festive processions, parades, fireworks and mass celebrations.
July 26-29 – Antwerp, world music festival “Sfinks Mixed”. Now in its 42nd year, the free festival is known for its unique and adventurous artist performances and multicultural celebrations. The festival program includes dance music, lyrical intimate concerts, performances by the best DJs, as well as a children's festival in the Kidz village.
July 27 - August 9 – Bruges, Moods festival. This is a series of eclectic concerts, some of which are free, featuring world-class music from a variety of styles.
August 3-12 – Bruges, “Musica Antiqua Festival”. Festival of medieval music, founded in 1960. The program includes concerts, master classes, conferences, excursions around the region, exhibitions, a fair of musical instruments and an international competition in playing the organ, harpsichord, piano and other instruments of the Middle Ages
August 14-18 – Brussels, Summer Festival. This popular multicultural holiday event has been held since 2002 and attracts up to 100,000 spectators. The festival program includes performances by street performers and music concerts from rock music to hip-hop, jazz, pop music and world-class music. street performers.
August 15 – Bruges, church feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Belgians, most of whom are Catholic, celebrate on this day that God accepted the Virgin Mary into heaven after her death. The celebration is accompanied by a crowded procession of believers.
August 15-18 – Hasselt, Pukkelpop festival. The second largest open-air alternative music festival in Belgium after Rock Werchter, with an attendance figure of over 180,000 people. The program features a wide variety of alternative music, covering styles such as rock, pop, electronic and dance music, hip-hop, punk and heavy metal.
August 16-19 – Brussels, Flower Carpet Festival. Since 1971, on this day on the Grand Place, more than 100 volunteers spend 4 hours collecting a bright carpet of living begonias. The finished floral carpet is 75 m long and 24 m wide, with an area of 1,800 sq.m. Each square meter requires about 300 cut begonias. On this day, the air is filled with the aromas of magnificent flowers, and a musical concert takes place on the square.
August 25-26 – At, “La Ducasse” parade. This is an annual spectacular parade featuring giant dolls. Huge figures depicting Goliath, Samson and other allegorical characters are exhibited in the streets and with their help various performances are staged - for example, the wedding of Goliath and his famous battle with David.
Mid-October – Ghent International Film Festival. It has been held since 1974 and lasts 11 days. The festival specializes in the interaction of music and cinema. In parallel with the film competition, the event presents the World Soundtrack Awards, which have been awarded to composers since 2001.
December – Brussels, Christmas market “Winter Wonders”. Guarantees a whole range of vivid impressions; the city center is decorated with numerous decorations. The public is entertained by rides, sound and light shows, fireworks, street vending, music, an ice skating rink, a Ferris wheel, a Moon Museum and much more.
December 5-6 – Eve of St. Nicholas Day and St. Nicholas Day. Vibrant performances and processions are held throughout the city, with many competitions for children and gift distribution.
As a reminder, check the specific festival website or your local tourist information office for upcoming event dates before planning your trip. For more information on these and other events, visit the official Belgium information site.
