Culture of Belgium
Encyclopedia
A discussion of Belgian culture requires the language and what they eat discussing both those aspects of cultural life
shared by 'all' or most of the Belgians
, regardless of what language they speak, and also, the differences between the main cultural communities: the Flemish people
from Flanders
, Brussels and the French-speakers from Brussels
and Wallonia. The grouping of Brussels and Wallonia as one cultural community is rejected by the Manifesto for Walloon culture
as well as certain regionalists from Brussels.
Most Belgians tend to view their culture as an integral part of European culture
or Western culture
;
nevertheless, both main communities tend to make their thousands of individual and collective cultural choices mainly from within their own community, and then, when going beyond, the Flemish
draw intensively from both the English-speaking culture (which dominates sciences, professional life and most news media) and the Netherlands, whereas French-speakers focus on
cultural life in Paris
and elsewhere in the French-speaking world (la Francophonie), and less outside. A truly scientific discussion would also include discussion of the different cultures of Belgian ethnic minorities such as the Jews who have formed a remarkable component of Flemish culture — in particular that of Antwerp — for over five hundred years.
, in Bruges
, with the Flemish Primitives, and the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
in Brussels, which has a cinema, a concert hall, and artworks of many periods, including a large René Magritte
collection.
Furthermore, the Plantin-Moretus Museum
in Antwerp, a world heritage site, is the complete factory of the largest publishing house of the seventeenth century.
, Emile Verhaeren
or Maurice Maeterlinck
), and many French-speaking individuals come from originally Dutch-speaking families (particularly in Brussels, e.g. Jacques Brel
). As the Flemish movement grew in importance, Dutch-penned authors became more and more prominent in Flanders and even played an important role in the said movement - see for example Hendrik Conscience
. Important contemporary Flemish authors are Tom Lanoye
or Dimitri Verhulst
.
Belgian Francophone literature is sometimes difficult to distinct from French literature as a whole, because several great French authors went to Belgium for refuge (e.g. Apollinaire, Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Verlaine
and recent tax-refugee Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt
) and conversely, top French-speaking writers sometimes settle in Paris (e.g. Simenon
, Amélie Nothomb
). Belgian Francophone literature is characterized by authors who achieved a nationwide success in Belgium while being little known in France, and shares traits that are perceived as typically Belgian : use of black humour, self-derision, surrealism and absurdism (in a similar vein as Belgian painters such as René Magritte
), and references to Belgian history and society (such as Belgian royalty, language conflicts, former colony of Congo, Belgian beers and gastronomy, and whatever is typically Belgian) and they are often active in Belgian medias as columnists or entertainers. Such authors are Thomas Gunzig, Juan d'Oultremont, Jacques Mercier
, etc.
There have also been writers in the Walloon language
, such as Nicolas Defrecheux and Edouard Remouchamps.
Most famous Belgian authors are : Guido Gezelle
(1830–1899), Emile Verhaeren
(1855–1916), Max Elskamp (1862–1931), Maurice Maeterlinck
(1862–1949), Paul van Ostaijen
(1896–1926), Henri Michaux
(French born and educated in Belgium, 1899–1984) and Jacques Brel
(1929–1978) and prose writers: Hendrik Conscience
(1812–1883), Charles de Coster
(1827–1879), Willem Elsschot
(1882–1960), Michel de Ghelderode
(1898–1962), Georges Simenon
1903-1989, Louis Paul Boon
(1912–1979), Hugo Claus
( 1929–2008 ), Pierre Mertens
(born in 1939) Ernest Claes
(1885–1968), and, Amélie Nothomb
(born in 1967).
s, such as Hergé
(The Adventures of Tintin
), Peyo
(The Smurfs
), Franquin
(Spirou et Fantasio
, Marsupilami
, Gaston
), Willy Vandersteen
(Spike and Suzy
), Morris
(Lucky Luke
), Edgar P. Jacobs
(Blake and Mortimer
), Jef Nys
(Jommeke
) and Marc Sleen
(Nero).
More recently, Jean Van Hamme
(XIII, Largo Winch
, Thorgal
, etc.), Raoul Cauvin
(Les Tuniques Bleues
, Agent 212
), François Schuiten
and Benoît Peeters
(Les Cités Obscures
) are among the most read cartoonists.
Belgium is home to some of the most important European comics magazines and publishers, with Dupuis
(Spirou magazine
), Le Lombard
(Tintin magazine
) and Casterman
.
Collégiale Saint-Gertrude de Nivelles
(1046) and Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Tournai
, gothic
15th-century Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp and baroque
Brussels
Grand'Place
. Mosan Renaissance
style is typical of the architecture within the Prince-Bishopric of Liège.
Famous Art Nouveau
architects Victor Horta
and Henry van de Velde
have influenced the early 20th century architecture in Belgium and abroad.
(Benoît Poelvoorde
, Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, etc.) and in other less-known festivals. Belgian movies are generally made with small budget, and are mostly funded by the regional governments (the Vlaams Audiovisueel Fonds, and Wallimage, among others) and private corporations by means of sponsorship and product placement
.
but Henri Vieuxtemps
, Eugène Ysaÿe
, Guillaume Lekeu
and Wim Mertens
are also noteworthy. Many great Medieval and Renaissance composers, such as Gilles Binchois
, Orlande de Lassus
, Guillaume Dufay
, Heinrich Isaac
and Jacob Obrecht
came from the area which is now Belgium (see the Franco-Flemish School
).
Well-known singers include pioneer Bobbejaan Schoepen
, Jacques Brel
, Arno
, and Maurane
.
Adolphe Sax
, the inventor of the saxophone, was born in Belgium. The country has also a very active jazz
scene that is achieving international recognition with bands like Aka Moon
, Maak's Spirit
and Octurn
. Harmonicist Toots Thielemans
, guitarist Philip Catherine
and Django Reinhardt
are probably the best known Belgian jazz musicians.
Hooverphonic
, formed in the mid-1990s, is a Belgian pop
/ trip hop
band that achieved international recognition through their inclusion on the soundtrack Bernardo Bertolucci
's 1996 film Io Ballo da Sola (English: Stealing Beauty
). Other popular Belgian pop music comes from Axelle Red
, Vaya Con Dios
, Kate Ryan
and K's Choice
.
Belgium has also influenced electronic music with a.o. Front 242
, Praga Khan
(also known as Lords of Acid
) and 2 Many DJ's, and rock music with dEUS and Soulwax
.
Belgian hip-hop
started with the rise of Starflam
, CNN (a Brussels-based crew) and 't Hof van Commerce
in the mid 1990s.
monk
s. Technically, it is an ale
and traditionally each abbey's beer is served in its own glass (the forms, heights and widths are different). There are only seven breweries (six of them are Belgian) that are allowed to brew Trappist beer
.
Although Belgian gastronomy is connected to French cuisine, some recipe
s were reputedly invented there as e.g. French-fried potatoes (despite the name), stoofkarbonnaden (or carbonade flamande in French, a beef stew with beer, mustard and bay laurel
), speculaas
(a sort of cookie), Brussels waffles (and their variant, Belgian waffle
s), waterzooi
(a broth made with chicken or fish, cream and vegetables), endive
with bechamel sauce, Brussels sprout
s, Belgian praline
s (Belgium has some of the most renowned chocolate
houses), and Paling in 't groen
(river eel
s in a sauce of green herbs).
Belgian cookies are noted for their aroma and unique texture.
at Binche
, near Mons
, held just before Lent
(the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter), and the Procession of the Holy Blood, held in Bruges
in May. During the carnival in Binche, "Gilles", which are men dressed in high, plumed hats and bright costumes, lead the procession. Several of these festivals include sporting competitions, such as cycling
, and many fall under the category of kermesse
.
An important holiday (which is however not an official public holiday) takes place each year on December 6. This is Sinterklaas
in Dutch or la Saint-Nicolas in French (English: Saint Nicholas
). This is sort of an early Christmas. On December 5 evening before going to bed, children put their shoes by the hearth with water or wine and a carrot for Saint Nicholas's horse or donkey
. According to tradition, St. Nicholas comes at night and travels down the chimney. He then takes the food and water or wine, leaves presents, goes back up, feeds his horse or donkey, and continues on his course. He also knows whether children have been good or bad. This holiday is especially loved by children in Belgium and the Netherlands. Dutch immigrants imported the tradition into the United States
, where Saint Nicholas is now known as Santa Claus
.
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
shared by 'all' or most of the Belgians
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, regardless of what language they speak, and also, the differences between the main cultural communities: the Flemish people
Flemish people
The Flemings or Flemish are the Dutch-speaking inhabitants of Belgium, where they are mostly found in the northern region of Flanders. They are one of two principal cultural-linguistic groups in Belgium, the other being the French-speaking Walloons...
from Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
, Brussels and the French-speakers from Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
and Wallonia. The grouping of Brussels and Wallonia as one cultural community is rejected by the Manifesto for Walloon culture
Manifesto for Walloon culture
The Manifesto for Walloon Culture , was published in Liège on 15 September 1983 and signed ‘by seventy-five key figures in artistic, journalistic and university circles’ of Wallonia....
as well as certain regionalists from Brussels.
Most Belgians tend to view their culture as an integral part of European culture
Culture of Europe
The culture of Europe might better be described as a series of overlapping cultures. Whether it is a question of North as opposed to South; West as opposed to East; Orthodoxism as opposed to Protestantism as opposed to Catholicism as opposed to Secularism; many have claimed to identify cultural...
or Western culture
Western culture
Western culture, sometimes equated with Western civilization or European civilization, refers to cultures of European origin and is used very broadly to refer to a heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, religious beliefs, political systems, and specific artifacts and...
;
nevertheless, both main communities tend to make their thousands of individual and collective cultural choices mainly from within their own community, and then, when going beyond, the Flemish
Flemish people
The Flemings or Flemish are the Dutch-speaking inhabitants of Belgium, where they are mostly found in the northern region of Flanders. They are one of two principal cultural-linguistic groups in Belgium, the other being the French-speaking Walloons...
draw intensively from both the English-speaking culture (which dominates sciences, professional life and most news media) and the Netherlands, whereas French-speakers focus on
cultural life in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and elsewhere in the French-speaking world (la Francophonie), and less outside. A truly scientific discussion would also include discussion of the different cultures of Belgian ethnic minorities such as the Jews who have formed a remarkable component of Flemish culture — in particular that of Antwerp — for over five hundred years.
Museums
Some of the most impressive museums in Belgium are The Royal Museum for Fine Arts, in Antwerp, which has an admirable collection of works by Peter Paul Rubens, the GroeningemuseumGroeningemuseum
The Groeningemuseum is a municipal museum of Bruges, Belgium.It houses a comprehensive survey of six centuries of Flemish and Belgian painting, from Jan van Eyck to Marcel Broodthaers...
, in Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
, with the Flemish Primitives, and the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium , is one of the most famous museums in Belgium.-The museum:...
in Brussels, which has a cinema, a concert hall, and artworks of many periods, including a large René Magritte
René Magritte
René François Ghislain Magritte[p] was a Belgian surrealist artist. He became well known for a number of witty and thought-provoking images...
collection.
Furthermore, the Plantin-Moretus Museum
Plantin-Moretus Museum
The Plantin-Moretus Museum is a museum in Antwerp, Belgium honouring the famous printers Christoffel Plantijn and Jan Moretus. It is located in their former residence and printing establishment, Plantin Press, at the Friday Market.- History :...
in Antwerp, a world heritage site, is the complete factory of the largest publishing house of the seventeenth century.
Literature
Belgian literature was more cohesive in the past but is now divided between a Flemish literature and a Belgian Francophone literature. Until the mid-XXth century, Belgian writers more often wrote in French even if they were Flemish, due both to the then-dominant position of that language in worldwide culture and its dominant position within Belgium itself (e.g. Suzanne LilarSuzanne Lilar
Suzanne, Baroness Lilar was a Flemish Belgian essayist, novelist, and playwright writing in French...
, Emile Verhaeren
Emile Verhaeren
Emile Verhaeren was a Belgian poet who wrote in the French language, and one of the chief founders of the school of Symbolism....
or Maurice Maeterlinck
Maurice Maeterlinck
Maurice Polydore Marie Bernard Maeterlinck, also called Comte Maeterlinck from 1932, was a Belgian playwright, poet, and essayist who wrote in French. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911. The main themes in his work are death and the meaning of life...
), and many French-speaking individuals come from originally Dutch-speaking families (particularly in Brussels, e.g. Jacques Brel
Jacques Brel
Jacques Brel was a Belgian singer-songwriter who composed and performed literate, thoughtful, and theatrical songs that generated a large, devoted following in France initially, and later throughout the world. He was widely considered a master of the modern chanson...
). As the Flemish movement grew in importance, Dutch-penned authors became more and more prominent in Flanders and even played an important role in the said movement - see for example Hendrik Conscience
Hendrik Conscience
Henri "Hendrik" Conscience was a Belgian writer. He was a pioneer in writing in Dutch after the secession from the Netherlands in 1830 left Belgium a mostly French speaking country....
. Important contemporary Flemish authors are Tom Lanoye
Tom Lanoye
Tom Lanoye [lan-WA] is a Belgian novelist and poet who works in Antwerp and Cape Town . He gained widespread popularity in the early 1980s as part of the new generation of young Flemish novelists that included Herman Brusselmans and Kristien Hemmerechts...
or Dimitri Verhulst
Dimitri Verhulst
Dimitri Verhulst is a Belgian writer and poet. He currently lives and works in Huccorgne.-Biography:Dimitri Verhulst comes from a broken home and spent his childhood in foster homes and institutes. As a writer, he made his debut in 1999 with a collection of stories, De kamer hiernaast about his...
.
Belgian Francophone literature is sometimes difficult to distinct from French literature as a whole, because several great French authors went to Belgium for refuge (e.g. Apollinaire, Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Verlaine
Verlaine
Verlaine is a municipality of Belgium. It lies in the country's Walloon Region and Province of Liege. On January 1, 2006 Verlaine had a total population of 3,507. The total area is 24.21 km² which gives a population density of 145 inhabitants per km². The municipality contains the villages...
and recent tax-refugee Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt
Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt
Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt is a French dramatist, novelist and fiction writer. His plays have been staged in over fifty countries all over the world.- Life :...
) and conversely, top French-speaking writers sometimes settle in Paris (e.g. Simenon
Georges Simenon
Georges Joseph Christian Simenon was a Belgian writer. A prolific author who published nearly 200 novels and numerous short works, Simenon is best known for the creation of the fictional detective Maigret.-Early life and education:...
, Amélie Nothomb
Amélie Nothomb
Amélie Nothomb is a Belgian writer who writes in French.- Biography :Amélie Nothomb was born in Kobe, Japan to Belgian diplomats. She lived there until she was five years old, and then subsequently lived in China, New York, Bangladesh, Burma, Coventry and Laos...
). Belgian Francophone literature is characterized by authors who achieved a nationwide success in Belgium while being little known in France, and shares traits that are perceived as typically Belgian : use of black humour, self-derision, surrealism and absurdism (in a similar vein as Belgian painters such as René Magritte
René Magritte
René François Ghislain Magritte[p] was a Belgian surrealist artist. He became well known for a number of witty and thought-provoking images...
), and references to Belgian history and society (such as Belgian royalty, language conflicts, former colony of Congo, Belgian beers and gastronomy, and whatever is typically Belgian) and they are often active in Belgian medias as columnists or entertainers. Such authors are Thomas Gunzig, Juan d'Oultremont, Jacques Mercier
Jacques Mercier
Jacques Mercier is a Belgian writer and television and radio presenter.The third eldest son of René and Denise Mercier, Jacques Mercier was educated at St. Joseph's College. Mercier joined RTBF in September 1963 and started hosting radio shows such as Sunday music and music for breakfast...
, etc.
There have also been writers in the Walloon language
Walloon language
Walloon is a Romance language which was spoken as a primary language in large portions of the Walloon Region of Belgium and some villages of Northern France until the middle of the 20th century. It belongs to the langue d'oïl language family, whose most prominent member is the French language...
, such as Nicolas Defrecheux and Edouard Remouchamps.
Most famous Belgian authors are : Guido Gezelle
Guido Gezelle
Guido Pieter Theodorus Josephus Gezelle was an influential Flemish language writer and poet and a Roman Catholic priest from Belgium.- Life :...
(1830–1899), Emile Verhaeren
Emile Verhaeren
Emile Verhaeren was a Belgian poet who wrote in the French language, and one of the chief founders of the school of Symbolism....
(1855–1916), Max Elskamp (1862–1931), Maurice Maeterlinck
Maurice Maeterlinck
Maurice Polydore Marie Bernard Maeterlinck, also called Comte Maeterlinck from 1932, was a Belgian playwright, poet, and essayist who wrote in French. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911. The main themes in his work are death and the meaning of life...
(1862–1949), Paul van Ostaijen
Paul van Ostaijen
Paul van Ostaijen was a Flemish poet and writer.Van Ostaijen was born in Antwerp. His nickname was Mister 1830, because of his habit of walking along the streets of Antwerp clothed as a dandy from that year....
(1896–1926), Henri Michaux
Henri Michaux
Henri Michaux was a highly idiosyncratic Belgian-born poet, writer, and painter who wrote in French. He later took French citizenship. Michaux is best known for his esoteric books written in a highly accessible style, and his body of work includes poetry, travelogues, and art criticism...
(French born and educated in Belgium, 1899–1984) and Jacques Brel
Jacques Brel
Jacques Brel was a Belgian singer-songwriter who composed and performed literate, thoughtful, and theatrical songs that generated a large, devoted following in France initially, and later throughout the world. He was widely considered a master of the modern chanson...
(1929–1978) and prose writers: Hendrik Conscience
Hendrik Conscience
Henri "Hendrik" Conscience was a Belgian writer. He was a pioneer in writing in Dutch after the secession from the Netherlands in 1830 left Belgium a mostly French speaking country....
(1812–1883), Charles de Coster
Charles De Coster
Charles-Theodore-Henri De Coster was a Belgian novelist whose efforts laid the basis for a native Belgian literature....
(1827–1879), Willem Elsschot
Willem Elsschot
Willem Elsschot , was a Flemish writer and poet . A few of his works have been translated into English.-Life:...
(1882–1960), Michel de Ghelderode
Michel De Ghelderode
Michel de Ghelderode was an avant-garde Belgian dramatist, writing in French.-Career:...
(1898–1962), Georges Simenon
Georges Simenon
Georges Joseph Christian Simenon was a Belgian writer. A prolific author who published nearly 200 novels and numerous short works, Simenon is best known for the creation of the fictional detective Maigret.-Early life and education:...
1903-1989, Louis Paul Boon
Louis Paul Boon
Louis Paul Boon was a Flemish journalist and novelist who is considered one of the major 20th century writers in the Dutch language...
(1912–1979), Hugo Claus
Hugo Claus
Hugo Maurice Julien Claus was a leading Belgian author who published under his own name as well as various pseudonyms. Claus' literary contributions spanned the genres of drama, the novel, and poetry; he also left a legacy as a painter and film director...
( 1929–2008 ), Pierre Mertens
Pierre Mertens
Pierre Mertens is a Belgian French-speaking writer and lawyer who specializes in international law, director of the Centre de sociologie de la littérature at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, and literary critic with the newspaper Le Soir.Influenced by Franz Kafka, Mertens started to publish...
(born in 1939) Ernest Claes
Ernest Claes
Andreas Ernestus Josephus Claes was a Flemish author.Some of his works are written under the pseudonym G...
(1885–1968), and, Amélie Nothomb
Amélie Nothomb
Amélie Nothomb is a Belgian writer who writes in French.- Biography :Amélie Nothomb was born in Kobe, Japan to Belgian diplomats. She lived there until she was five years old, and then subsequently lived in China, New York, Bangladesh, Burma, Coventry and Laos...
(born in 1967).
Comics
Belgium has numerous well-known cartoonistCartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
s, such as Hergé
Hergé
Georges Prosper Remi , better known by the pen name Hergé, was a Belgian comics writer and artist. His best known and most substantial work is the 23 completed comic books in The Adventures of Tintin series, which he wrote and illustrated from 1929 until his death in 1983, although he was also...
(The Adventures of Tintin
The Adventures of Tintin
The Adventures of Tintin is a series of classic comic books created by Belgian artist , who wrote under the pen name of Hergé...
), Peyo
Peyo
Pierre Culliford , known as Peyo, was a Belgian comics artist, perhaps best known for the creation of The Smurfs comic strip.-Biography:...
(The Smurfs
The Smurfs
The Smurfs is a comic and television franchise centred on a group of small blue fictional creatures called Smurfs, created and first introduced as a series of comic strips by the Belgian cartoonist Peyo on October 23, 1958...
), Franquin
André Franquin
André Franquin was an influential Belgian comics artist, whose best known comic strip creations are Gaston and Marsupilami, created while he worked on the Spirou et Fantasio comic strip from 1947 to 1969, during a period seen by many as the series' golden age.-Franquin's beginnings:Franquin was...
(Spirou et Fantasio
Spirou et Fantasio
Spirou et Fantasio is one of the most popular classic Franco-Belgian comic strips. The series, which has been running since 1938, shares many characteristics with other European humorous adventure comics like Tintin and Asterix...
, Marsupilami
Marsupilami
Marsupilami is a fictional comic book species created by André Franquin, first published on 31 January 1952 in the magazine Spirou. Since then it appeared regularly in the popular Belgian comic book series Spirou et Fantasio until Franquin stopped working on the series in 1968 and the character...
, Gaston
Gaston Lagaffe
Gaston is a comic strip created in 1957 by the Belgian cartoonist André Franquin in the comic strip magazine, Spirou. The series focuses on the every-day life of Gaston Lagaffe, a lazy and accident-prone office junior...
), Willy Vandersteen
Willy Vandersteen
Willy Vandersteen was a Belgian creator of comic books. In a career spanning 50 years, he created a large studio and published more than 1,000 comic albums in over 25 series, selling more than 200 million copies worldwide....
(Spike and Suzy
Spike and Suzy
Spike and Suzy, the British title for Suske en Wiske in Dutch, is a comics series created by the Belgian comics author Willy Vandersteen. The strip is known as Bob et Bobette in French and Willy and Wanda in the U.S. It was first published in De Nieuwe Standaard in 1945 and soon became popular...
), Morris
Morris (comics)
Maurice De Bevere , better known as Morris, was a Belgian cartoonist and the creator of Lucky Luke. His pen name is an alternate spelling of his first name.-Biography:...
(Lucky Luke
Lucky Luke
Lucky Luke is a Belgian comics series created by Belgian cartoonist, Maurice De Bevere better known as Morris, the original artist, and was for one period written by René Goscinny...
), Edgar P. Jacobs
Edgar Pierre Jacobs
Edgard Félix Pierre Jacobs, , better known under his pen name Edgar P. Jacobs, was a Belgian comic book creator , born in Brussels, Belgium...
(Blake and Mortimer
Blake and Mortimer
Blake and Mortimer is a Belgian comics series created by the Belgian writer and comics artist Edgar P. Jacobs. It was one of the first series to appear in the Belgian comics magazine Tintin in 1946, and was subsequently published in book form by Les Editions du Lombard.The main protagonists of the...
), Jef Nys
Jef Nys
Jozef "Jef" Nys was a Belgian comic book creator. He was best known for his comic strip Jommeke.-Biography:...
(Jommeke
Jommeke
Jommeke is the name of a Flemish comic book series and of its main character. It deals with the adventures of Jommeke, a boy of about 11 years old and his friends. The creator of Jommeke was Jef Nys.-History:...
) and Marc Sleen
Marc Sleen
Marcel Honoree Nestor, Knight Neels , known with his pseudonym Marc Sleen, is a Flemish/Belgian comics artist and cartoonist. He is mostly known for his comic The adventures of Nero and co.-Biography:...
(Nero).
More recently, Jean Van Hamme
Jean Van Hamme
Jean Van Hamme is a Belgian novelist and comic book writer. He has written scripts for a number of Belgian/French comic series, including Histoire sans héros, Thorgal, XIII and Largo Winch.-Early years:...
(XIII, Largo Winch
Largo Winch
Largo Winch is a Belgian comic book series by Philippe Francq and Jean Van Hamme, published by Dupuis.The principal character is Largo Winch whose birth name is Largo Winczlav. Other important characters include Nerio Winch , senior Group W executives John D. Sullivan and Dwight E...
, Thorgal
Thorgal
Thorgal is a critically acclaimed Belgian comic book series by the Belgian writer Jean Van Hamme and the Polish graphic artist Grzegorz Rosiński. It first appeared in serial form in the "Tintin" magazine in 1977, and has been published in hardcover volumes by Le Lombard from 1980 on...
, etc.), Raoul Cauvin
Raoul Cauvin
Raoul Cauvin is a Belgian comics author and one of the most popular in the humorist field.-Biography:Raoul Cauvin was born in Antoing, Belgium in 1938. He studied lithography at the Institut Saint-Luc in Tournai, but upon leaving school found that there no jobs available for lithographers...
(Les Tuniques Bleues
Les Tuniques Bleues
Les Tuniques Bleues is a Belgian series of bandes dessinées , first featured in Spirou and later published by Dupuis. Created by Louis Salverius, the series was taken up by artist Willy Lambillotte and writer Raoul Cauvin. It follows two United States cavalrymen through a series of battles and...
, Agent 212
Agent 212
Agent 212 is the name of a humorous Belgian comic about a large police officer. The comic series is written by Raoul Cauvin, and drawn by Daniel Kox, and has been published in the Spirou/Robbedoes magazine since 1975. Dupuis has also published 26 comic books in French and Dutch featuring the...
), François Schuiten
François Schuiten
Baron François Schuiten is a Belgian comic book artist. He is best known for drawing the series Les Cités Obscures.-Biography:François Schuiten was born in Brussels, Belgium in 1956....
and Benoît Peeters
Benoît Peeters
Benoît Peeters is a comics writer, novelist, and critic. He has lived in Belgium since 1978.His best-known work is Les Cités Obscures, an imaginary world which mingles a Borgesian metaphysical surrealism with the detailed architectural vistas of the series' artist, François Schuiten...
(Les Cités Obscures
Les Cités Obscures
Les Cités obscures is a graphic novel series set on a Counter-Earth, started by the Belgian comics artist François Schuiten and his friend, writer Benoît Peeters in the early 1980s...
) are among the most read cartoonists.
Belgium is home to some of the most important European comics magazines and publishers, with Dupuis
Dupuis
Éditions Dupuis S.A. is a Belgian publisher of comic books and magazines.Based in Marcinelle near Charleroi, Dupuis was founded in 1922 by Jean Dupuis, and is mostly famous for its comic albums and magazines. It is originally a French language publisher, but publishes many editions both in French...
(Spirou magazine
Spirou (magazine)
Spirou magazine is a weekly Belgian comics magazine published by the Dupuis company...
), Le Lombard
Le Lombard
Le Lombard or Lombard Editions is a Belgian comic book publisher established in 1946 when the Tintin magazine was launched. In 1986 the company was acquired by Média-Participations.-Titles:Lombard's more famous series include:*Clifton...
(Tintin magazine
Tintin (magazine)
Le journal de Tintin or Kuifje , was a weekly Belgian comics magazine of the second half of the 20th century...
) and Casterman
Casterman
Casterman is a publisher of Franco-Belgian comics, specializing in comic books and children's literature. The company is based in Tournai, Belgium.Founded in 1780, Casterman was originally a printing company and publishing house...
.
Architecture
The romanesqueRomanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
Collégiale Saint-Gertrude de Nivelles
Nivelles
Nivelles is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. The Nivelles municipality includes the old communes of Baulers, Bornival, Thines, and Monstreux....
(1046) and Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Tournai
Tournai Cathedral
The Cathedral of Our Lady is Roman Catholic church, see of the Diocese of Tournai in Tournai, Belgium. It has been classified both as a Wallonia's major heritage since 1936 and as a World Heritage Site since 2000.-History:...
, gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
15th-century Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp and baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
Grand'Place
Grand Place
The Grand Place or Grote Markt is the central square of Brussels. It is surrounded by guildhalls, the city's Town Hall, and the Breadhouse . The square is the most important tourist destination and most memorable landmark in Brussels, along with the Atomium and Manneken Pis...
. Mosan Renaissance
Mosan Renaissance
Mosan Renaissance, also known as Maasland Renaissance, is a regional architectural style dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. The style is only remotely related to Renaissance architecture...
style is typical of the architecture within the Prince-Bishopric of Liège.
Famous Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
architects Victor Horta
Victor Horta
Victor, Baron Horta was a Belgian architect and designer. John Julius Norwich described him as "undoubtedly the key European Art Nouveau architect." Indeed, Horta is one of the most important names in Art Nouveau architecture; the construction of his Hôtel Tassel in Brussels in 1892-3 means that...
and Henry van de Velde
Henry van de Velde
Henry Clemens Van de Velde was a Belgian Flemish painter, architect and interior designer. Together with Victor Horta and Paul Hankar he could be considered one of the main founders and representatives of Art Nouveau in Belgium...
have influenced the early 20th century architecture in Belgium and abroad.
Cinematography
Belgium cinema has already been rewarded several times at Cannes Film FestivalCannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
(Benoît Poelvoorde
Benoît Poelvoorde
Benoît Poelvoorde is a Belgian actor and comedian who often associates cynicism, humour and drama in his movies.His mother was a grocer and his father a driver, who died when Poelvoorde was still young...
, Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, etc.) and in other less-known festivals. Belgian movies are generally made with small budget, and are mostly funded by the regional governments (the Vlaams Audiovisueel Fonds, and Wallimage, among others) and private corporations by means of sponsorship and product placement
Product placement
Product placement, or embedded marketing, is a form of advertisement, where branded goods or services are placed in a context usually devoid of ads, such as movies, music videos, the story line of television shows, or news programs. The product placement is often not disclosed at the time that the...
.
Music
Many important classical composers were born in Belgium. The most famous is undoubtedly César FranckCésar Franck
César-Auguste-Jean-Guillaume-Hubert Franck was a composer, pianist, organist, and music teacher who worked in Paris during his adult life....
but Henri Vieuxtemps
Henri Vieuxtemps
Henri François Joseph Vieuxtemps was a Belgian composer and violinist. He occupies an important place in the history of the violin as a prominent exponent of the Franco-Belgian violin school during the mid-19th century....
, Eugène Ysaÿe
Eugène Ysaÿe
Eugène Ysaÿe was a Belgian violinist, composer and conductor born in Liège. He was regarded as "The King of the Violin", or, as Nathan Milstein put it, the "tzar"...
, Guillaume Lekeu
Guillaume Lekeu
Guillaume Lekeu was a Belgian composer of classical music.- Life :Lekeu, who was born in Verviers, Belgium, took his first lessons at the conservatoire in that city. In 1879, his parents moved to Poitiers, France. There, he finished school while he continued his music studies autodidactically...
and Wim Mertens
Wim Mertens
Wim Mertens is a Flemish Belgian composer, countertenor vocalist, pianist, guitarist, and musicologist.-Life and work:Mertens was born in Neerpelt, Belgium...
are also noteworthy. Many great Medieval and Renaissance composers, such as Gilles Binchois
Gilles Binchois
Gilles de Binche , also known as Gilles de Bins , was a Franco-Flemish composer, one of the earliest members of the Burgundian School, and one of the three most famous composers of the early 15th century...
, Orlande de Lassus
Orlande de Lassus
Orlande de Lassus was a Franco-Flemish composer of the late Renaissance...
, Guillaume Dufay
Guillaume Dufay
Guillaume Dufay was a Franco-Flemish composer of the early Renaissance. As the central figure in the Burgundian School, he was the most famous and influential composer in Europe in the mid-15th century.-Early life:From the evidence of his will, he was probably born in Beersel, in the vicinity of...
, Heinrich Isaac
Heinrich Isaac
Heinrich Isaac was a Franco-Flemish Renaissance composer of south Netherlandish origin. He wrote masses, motets, songs , and instrumental music. A significant contemporary of Josquin des Prez, Isaac influenced the development of music in Germany...
and Jacob Obrecht
Jacob Obrecht
Jacob Obrecht was a Flemish composer of the Renaissance. He was the most famous composer of masses in Europe in the late 15th century, being eclipsed by only Josquin des Prez after his death.-Life:...
came from the area which is now Belgium (see the Franco-Flemish School
Franco-Flemish School
In music, the Franco-Flemish School or more precisely the Netherlandish School refers, somewhat imprecisely, to the style of polyphonic vocal music composition in Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries, and to the composers who wrote it...
).
Well-known singers include pioneer Bobbejaan Schoepen
Bobbejaan Schoepen
Bobbejaan Schoepen is a pseudonym of Modest Schoepen was a Flemish pioneer in Belgian pop music, vaudeville, and European country music...
, Jacques Brel
Jacques Brel
Jacques Brel was a Belgian singer-songwriter who composed and performed literate, thoughtful, and theatrical songs that generated a large, devoted following in France initially, and later throughout the world. He was widely considered a master of the modern chanson...
, Arno
Arno Hintjens
Arno Hintjens , usually referred to as Arno, is a Belgian artist born in Ostend. He was the frontman of the group TC Matic. After the band split in 1986 he went solo....
, and Maurane
Maurane
Maurane, real name Claudine Luypaerts, is a Belgian singer. She lives currently in Schaerbeek.Maurane was born at Ixelles. Her father was director in the Académie de Musique de Verviers, and when she was a teenager she took part in several musical contests...
.
Adolphe Sax
Adolphe Sax
Antoine-Joseph "Adolphe" Sax was a Belgian musical instrument designer and musician who played the flute and clarinet, and is best known for having invented the saxophone.-Biography:...
, the inventor of the saxophone, was born in Belgium. The country has also a very active jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
scene that is achieving international recognition with bands like Aka Moon
Aka Moon
Aka Moon is a Belgian avant-garde jazz band. Saxophonist Fabrizio Cassol, bassist Michel Hatzigeorgiou, and drummer Stéphane Galland are the founding members of the core trio...
, Maak's Spirit
Maak's Spirit
Mâäk’s Spirit is a Belgian avant-gardist jazz band. They recorded their fifth album live in Ghent in 1998. The band was then composed of Jeroen Van Herzeele , Laurent Blondiau , Salvatore La Rocca and Hans Van Oosterhout...
and Octurn
Octurn
Octurn is a Belgian polyrhythmic jazz ensemble led by Bo Van Der Werf . Its lineup as well as the composers are changed for every album...
. Harmonicist Toots Thielemans
Toots Thielemans
Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Isidor, Baron Thielemans , known as Toots Thielemans, is a Belgian jazz musician well known for his guitar and harmonica playing as well as his whistling. Thielemans is credited as one of the greatest harmonica players of the 20th century...
, guitarist Philip Catherine
Philip Catherine
Philip Catherine is a Belgian jazz guitarist.-Biography:He was born in London from an English mother and Belgian father....
and Django Reinhardt
Django Reinhardt
Django Reinhardt was a pioneering virtuoso jazz guitarist and composer who invented an entirely new style of jazz guitar technique that has since become a living musical tradition within French gypsy culture...
are probably the best known Belgian jazz musicians.
Hooverphonic
Hooverphonic
Hooverphonic are a Belgian rock/pop group, formed in 1995. Though early on categorized as a trip hop group, they quickly expanded their sound to the point where they could no longer be described as a lone genre, but rather encompass alternative, electronica, electropop, rock, and mixture of others...
, formed in the mid-1990s, is a Belgian pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
/ trip hop
Trip hop
Trip hop is a music genre consisting of downtempo electronic music which originated in the early 1990s in England, especially Bristol. Deriving from "post"-acid house, the term was first used by the British music media and press as a way to describe the more experimental variant of breakbeat which...
band that achieved international recognition through their inclusion on the soundtrack Bernardo Bertolucci
Bernardo Bertolucci
Bernardo Bertolucci is an Italian film director and screenwriter, whose films include The Conformist, Last Tango in Paris, 1900, The Last Emperor and The Dreamers...
's 1996 film Io Ballo da Sola (English: Stealing Beauty
Stealing Beauty
Stealing Beauty is a 1996 drama film directed by Academy Award-winning Italian filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci and written by Bertolucci and Susan Minot. It stars Liv Tyler, D.W. Moffett, Jeremy Irons, and Rachel Weisz...
). Other popular Belgian pop music comes from Axelle Red
Axelle Red
Axelle Red is a Belgian singer-songwriter.-Biography:She was born at Hasselt, Flanders, Belgium, the daughter of Roland Demal, a solicitor in Hasselt and Councillor for the Flemish Liberals and Democrats in the City Council.Nowadays a committed artist and a militant humanist, back in 1993 Axelle...
, Vaya Con Dios
Vaya Con Dios
' may refer to:* "Vaya con Dios" , a song written by Larry Russell, Inez James, and Buddy Pepper* Vaya Con Dios , a Belgian band** Vaya Con Dios , their debut album...
, Kate Ryan
Kate Ryan
Kate Ryan is a Belgian World Music Award winner. She began her singing career in 2001 and later found fame with a string of dance hits. These included covers, mostly of Mylène Farmer and France Gall, such as "Désenchantée", "Libertine" and "Ella, elle l'a" as well as new material...
and K's Choice
K's Choice
K's Choice is a Belgian rock band from Antwerp, formed in the mid-1990s. The band's core members are siblings Sarah Bettens and Gert Bettens . They are joined by Eric Grossman , Thomas Vanelslander , Reinout Swinnen and Koen Liekens...
.
Belgium has also influenced electronic music with a.o. Front 242
Front 242
Front 242 is a pioneering Belgian electronic music group that came into prominence during the 1980s. They are known for being the premier pioneer of electronic body music and as a major influence on the electronic and industrial music genres.-Formation:...
, Praga Khan
Praga Khan
Praga Khan is a Belgian techno musician, primarily in the new beat style.-Overview:Praga Khan is one of the pioneers of the new beat / acid house / rave sound, and has contributed to the theatrical scene with his musical collaborations in The Next Dimension and Code Red.In the late 1980s, he...
(also known as Lords of Acid
Lords of Acid
Lords of Acid is a Belgian-American post-industrial/techno band, led by musician Praga Khan. They debuted with the controversial new beat single "I Sit on Acid" in 1988...
) and 2 Many DJ's, and rock music with dEUS and Soulwax
Soulwax
Soulwax, headed by David and Stephen Dewaele, are an alternative rock/electronic band from Ghent, Belgium. Next to the Dewaele brothers, Soulwax consists of bassist Stefaan Van Leuven and drummer Steve Slingeneyer. They were first noticed after the release of their album Much Against Everyone's...
.
Belgian hip-hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
started with the rise of Starflam
Starflam
Starflam is a Belgian hip hop group from Liège in the French-speaking southern part of Belgium - Wallonia. The group started out in the early 1990s under the name H-Posse with members DJ Mig One, Fred'alabas, Seg and Balo. A few years later, after Brussels-born Akro and Mista R. joined the group,...
, CNN (a Brussels-based crew) and 't Hof van Commerce
't Hof van Commerce
't Hof van Commerce is a Belgian hip hop crew from Izegem in the province West Flanders in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium. Their name means 'chamber of commerce' in their local dialect...
in the mid 1990s.
Gastronomy
Good cooking and fine beers are seen by many as part of Belgian culture. One of the many beers with the high prestige is that of the TrappistTrappists
The Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance , or Trappists, is a Roman Catholic religious order of cloistered contemplative monks who follow the Rule of St. Benedict...
monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
s. Technically, it is an ale
Ale
Ale is a type of beer brewed from malted barley using a warm fermentation with a strain of brewers' yeast. The yeast will ferment the beer quickly, giving it a sweet, full bodied and fruity taste...
and traditionally each abbey's beer is served in its own glass (the forms, heights and widths are different). There are only seven breweries (six of them are Belgian) that are allowed to brew Trappist beer
Trappist beer
A Trappist beer is a beer brewed by or under control of Trappist monks. There are a total of 174 Trappist monasteries worldwide ; only seven produce Trappist beer and are authorized to label their beers with the Authentic Trappist Product logo that indicates a compliance to the various rules of...
.
Although Belgian gastronomy is connected to French cuisine, some recipe
Recipe
A recipe is a set of instructions that describe how to prepare or make something, especially a culinary dish.-Components:Modern culinary recipes normally consist of several components*The name of the dish...
s were reputedly invented there as e.g. French-fried potatoes (despite the name), stoofkarbonnaden (or carbonade flamande in French, a beef stew with beer, mustard and bay laurel
Bay Laurel
The bay laurel , also known as sweet bay, bay tree, true laurel, Grecian laurel, laurel tree, or simply laurel, is an aromatic evergreen tree or large shrub with green, glossy leaves, native to the Mediterranean region. It is the source of the bay leaf used in cooking...
), speculaas
Speculaas
Speculoos is a type of shortcrust biscuit, traditionally baked for consumption on St Nicholas' Eve in the Netherlands , Belgium . and Northern France. In recent decades it has become available all year round...
(a sort of cookie), Brussels waffles (and their variant, Belgian waffle
Belgian waffle
The Belgian waffle is a type of waffle identified by its larger size, lighter batter and higher grid pattern which forms deep pockets and has larger squares than other types...
s), waterzooi
Waterzooi
Waterzooi is a classic stew of Flanders. Its name is Dutch, "zooien" meaning "to boil". It is sometimes called Gentse Waterzooi which refers to Ghent, a city in Belgium....
(a broth made with chicken or fish, cream and vegetables), endive
Endive
Endive , Cichorium endivia, is a leaf vegetable belonging to the daisy family. Endive can be cooked or used raw in salads.-Background:Endive is also a common name for some types of chicory...
with bechamel sauce, Brussels sprout
Brussels sprout
The Brussels sprout is a cultivar of wild cabbage grown for its edible buds. The leafy green vegetables are typically 2.5–4 cm in diameter and look like miniature cabbages. The sprout is Brassica oleracea, in the "gemmifera" group of the family Brassicaceae...
s, Belgian praline
Praline
Praline is a family of confections made from nuts and sugar syrup.-Europe:As originally inspired in France at the Château of Vaux-le-Vicomte by the cook of the 17th-century sugar industrialist Marshal du Plessis-Praslin , early pralines were whole almonds individually coated in caramelized sugar,...
s (Belgium has some of the most renowned chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...
houses), and Paling in 't groen
Paling in 't groen
Paling in 't groen is a Flemish regional dish, mainly from the area along the River Scheldt between Dendermonde and Antwerp. The Dutch language name means 'eel in a setting of green plants' and refers to freshwater eel in a green herb sauce...
(river eel
Eel
Eels are an order of fish, which consists of four suborders, 20 families, 111 genera and approximately 800 species. Most eels are predators...
s in a sauce of green herbs).
Belgian cookies are noted for their aroma and unique texture.
Folklore
Festivals play a major role in Belgium's cultural life. Nearly every city and town has its own festival, some that date back several centuries. These are not merely aimed at tourism but authentic celebrations that take months to prepare. Two of the biggest festivals are the three-day carnivalCarnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
at Binche
Binche
Binche is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut. On January 1, 2006 Binche had a total population of 32,409. The total area is 60.66 km² which gives a population density of 534 inhabitants per km²...
, near Mons
Mons
Mons is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut, of which it is the capital. The Mons municipality includes the old communes of Cuesmes, Flénu, Ghlin, Hyon, Nimy, Obourg, Baudour , Jemappes, Ciply, Harmignies, Harveng, Havré, Maisières, Mesvin, Nouvelles,...
, held just before Lent
Lent
In the Christian tradition, Lent is the period of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer – through prayer, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial – for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and...
(the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter), and the Procession of the Holy Blood, held in Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
in May. During the carnival in Binche, "Gilles", which are men dressed in high, plumed hats and bright costumes, lead the procession. Several of these festivals include sporting competitions, such as cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
, and many fall under the category of kermesse
Kermesse
Kermesse or kermis, is a Dutch language term derived from 'kerk' and 'mis' that became borrowed in English and French, originally denoting the mass said on the anniversary of the foundation of a church and in honour of the patron...
.
An important holiday (which is however not an official public holiday) takes place each year on December 6. This is Sinterklaas
Sinterklaas
Sinterklaas is a traditional Winter holiday figure still celebrated today in the Low Countries, including the Netherlands and Belgium, as well as French Flanders and Artois...
in Dutch or la Saint-Nicolas in French (English: Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas , also called Nikolaos of Myra, was a historic 4th-century saint and Greek Bishop of Myra . Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker...
). This is sort of an early Christmas. On December 5 evening before going to bed, children put their shoes by the hearth with water or wine and a carrot for Saint Nicholas's horse or donkey
Donkey
The donkey or ass, Equus africanus asinus, is a domesticated member of the Equidae or horse family. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African Wild Ass, E...
. According to tradition, St. Nicholas comes at night and travels down the chimney. He then takes the food and water or wine, leaves presents, goes back up, feeds his horse or donkey, and continues on his course. He also knows whether children have been good or bad. This holiday is especially loved by children in Belgium and the Netherlands. Dutch immigrants imported the tradition into the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where Saint Nicholas is now known as Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
.
See also
- Belgian literatureBelgian literatureBecause Belgium is a multilingual country,French, Dutch and German are legally the three official languages in Belgium see: EU-Belgium Belgian literature is divided into two main linguistic branches following the two most prominently spoken languages in the country - Dutch and French...
- List of Belgians
- EuropaliaEuropaliaEuropalia is a major international arts festival held every two years to celebrate one invited country’s cultural heritage. Europalia was established in Brussels in 1969, and from the beginning Europalia was designed to be a multidisciplinary cultural festival....
- Manifesto for Walloon cultureManifesto for Walloon cultureThe Manifesto for Walloon Culture , was published in Liège on 15 September 1983 and signed ‘by seventy-five key figures in artistic, journalistic and university circles’ of Wallonia....