St V is the commonly used name for a holiday for university

University

A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...

 students in 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...

, Belgium

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...

, celebrating the founding of the Free University of Brussels

Free University of Brussels

The Free University of Brussels was a university in Brussels, Belgium. In 1969, it split into the Université Libre de Bruxelles and the Dutch-speaking Vrije Universiteit Brussel....

. The day's long form differs in the two official languages, but both are a reference to Pierre-Théodore Verhaegen

Pierre-Théodore Verhaegen

Pierre-Théodore Verhaegen was a Belgian lawyer, founder of the Université libre de Bruxelles, and liberal politician...

, the founder of the university, who notably is not a saint

Saint

A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...

 and was never canonized. The festivities take place on November 20, commemorating the anniversary of the university's official opening. It is celebrated by students of both the Université Libre de Bruxelles

Université Libre de Bruxelles

The Université libre de Bruxelles is a French-speaking university in Brussels, Belgium. It has 21,000 students, 29% of whom come from abroad, and an equally cosmopolitan staff.-Name:...

 and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Vrije Universiteit Brussel

The Vrije Universiteit Brussel is a Flemish university located in Brussels, Belgium. It has two campuses referred to as Etterbeek and Jette.The university's name is sometimes abbreviated by "VUB" or translated to "Free University of Brussels"...

, which officially separated in 1970.

Origins

The event dates back to November 20, 1888, when students of the university organized to protest a university reorganization that was perceived as undemocratic and against the principle of free inquiry

Free Inquiry

Free Inquiry is a bi-monthly journal of secular humanist opinion and commentary published by the Council for Secular Humanism, which is part of the Center for Inquiry. Philosopher Paul Kurtz is the editor-in-chief and Thomas W. Flynn the editor. Feature articles cover a wide range of topics from a...

 ("libre examen" in French, "vrij onderzoek" in Dutch), on which the university was founded. That morning, 200 of the university's 1400 students, with many freemasons, (as Verhaegen was also the founder of the Grand Orient of Belgium

Grand Orient of Belgium

The Grand Orient of Belgium The Grand Orient of Belgium The Grand Orient of Belgium (French: Grand Orient de Belgique, Dutch: Grootoosten van Belgie (G.O.B.) is a Belgian cupola of masonic lodges which is only accessible for men, and works in the basic three symbolic degrees of freemasonry.-History:...

) assembled and left a wreath of oak leaves on Verhaegen's tomb.

In following years, the students, with much fanfare and waving the flags of their respective student organizations, would form a long procession to pay homage to Verhaegen at his tomb and a monument in his honour. These celebrations continue to this day, although the students are now generally more concerned with drinking in the streets, and the honouring of Verhaegen is done largely by faculty and is more formal and official. Students get the day off for the events; no classes are scheduled that day.

Celebrations

Most student groups rent a large transport truck for the occasion, which they decorate in accordance with the year's theme. Each truck has a large number of kegs inside, and some students are designated to serve beer to the others all day, with an all-you-can-drink payment scheme. Many also bring large sound systems which play loud music all day.

The students first meet at the Sablon/Zavel Square, and after several hours, the trucks start to move towards the Brussels Stock Exchange

Brussels Stock Exchange

The Brussels Stock Exchange was founded in Brussels, Belgium, by Napoleonic decree in 1801. On September 22, 2000, the BSE merged with Paris Bourse, Lisbon Stock Exchange and the stock exchanges of Amsterdam, to form Euronext N.V., the first pan-European exchange for equities and derivatives,...

 on Boulevard Anspach

Boulevard Anspach

Boulevard Anspach or Anspachlaan is a major boulevard in the city centre of Brussels, Belgium, connecting the Place de Brouckère to the Place Fontainas. It is named after Jules Anspach, a former mayor of Brussels. It was built over the river Senne, covering it up, although the river no longer...

. This takes several hours as well, as the trucks move only at a walking speed and are more often than not stopped due to the students surrounding them and on the road. Beer continues to be served while the trucks are in motion. All roads which the procession goes on are closed to other traffic, including Anspach Boulevard, Brussels' main street.

The students then disperse and reconvene around 9pm at ULB's Solbosch campus, where all the year's decorations are burnt semi-ceremonially. Many alumni come to the university's discotheque on that night, which is normally only open to current students.

Each year the event has a different theme, 2007's being Scientia Vincere Tenebras, the motto of both schools.