Aalst Carnival

The country of Belgium is a magnificent destination choice. There, you will find the food, the artwork, the people, and the scenery, all an incredible experience. To celebrate life, Belgium offers a number of celebrations throughout the year in the form of parades, festivals, and carnivals. One such carnival, the Aalst Carnival, is held in a small, sleepy town called Aalst. The town itself is very quaint and has a number of things to see such as a museum, cultural center where there is wonderful music, exhibitions, and performing art, and much more.

The Aalst carnival is an annual event where all the men dress up like women. This event begins on the third Thursday during Lent and is quite the sight to see. It all got started when in 1449 a new Abbot took the throne at the Abby of Stavelot. This particular Abbot refused to allow monks to participate with the common townspeople in this religious festival. As a way of protesting, the monks would dress up in cowls whereby they could hide their faces behind elaborate masks. With this, they were given the name “Blancs Moussis”, which translates into “those who walk dressed in white.”

The tradition of the Aalst Carnival centers around 10 specific characters. Of these, Haguetes is the most famous. Each of the carnival characters dress in a black cocked hat that has been beautiful ordained with colorful ostrich feathers. Additionally, the costumes are made from velvet with vibrantly colored fringe. Then, the characters carry with them Hape-tchar, which means “flesh snatcher” that resembles a pair of wooden tongs that are used to snatch (grab) the arms and legs of onlookers.

In addition to the colorful characters of the procession, the Aalst Carnival also features beautiful floats that are truly magnificent to see. As the current events change, the characters of the carnival will change their mask throughout the celebration to coordinate. Keep in mind that numerous groups make up the procession, which is led by a pair of giants. The Aalst Carnival is a wonderful experience that is a lot of fun.

Remember that many other towns in Belgium organize fantastic carnivals, which draw large crowds from near and far. Tonnekensbrand is another popular tradition in Geraardsbergen whereby the procession consists of people dressed up from the Middle Ages. As the group makes its way to the summit of Oudenberg, the mayor or oldest citizen of the city is presented with a glass of wine full of small, live fish. With this, both wine and fish are swallowed whereby other guests follow suit. As you can see from these examples, the festivals and carnivals in Belgium are flamboyant and exciting.


Last Updated: 10/19/2006 3:14:00 PM

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