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Gigantes Y Cabezudos
Processional giants, french: géants processionnels, es, gigantes y cabezudos, va, gegants i cabuts, ca, gegants i capgrossos, eu, erraldoi eta buruhandiak are costumed figures in European folklore, particularly present in Belgian, French, Portuguese, Spanish, and English folkloric processions. The main feature of these figures is typically their papier maché head, whilst bodies are covered in clothing matching the costume's theme. Since 2008, Belgian and French processional giants have been recognised as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, as part of the binational listing of ' Processional giants and dragons in Belgium and France'. Background The processional giant is a gigantic costumed figure that represents a fictitious or real being. Inherited from medieval rites, tradition has it that it is carried, and that it dances in the streets during processions or festivals. Its physiognomy and size are variable, and its name-giving ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
La Mercè
La Mercè () is the annual festival ( ca, festa major) of the city of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain. It has been an official city holiday since 1871, when the local government first organized a program of special activities to observe the Roman Catholic feast day of Our Lady of Mercy, ''La Mare de Déu de la Mercè'' in Catalan language, Catalan. Although the actual feast day is September 24, the festivities begin a few days beforehand. Some of the most important features of the festival were introduced in the year 1902, when parades included papier maché “giants” known as ''gigantes y cabezudos, gegants i capgrossos'' and a popular dance from Empordà that was becoming popular throughout Catalonia: the ''Sardana''. The holiday has enjoyed immense local popularity ever since. Among more recently introduced traditions are the annual Catalan Wine Fair, a special ''correfoc'', a 10 km race and the pyro-musical, a display featuring synchronized fireworks, water fountains and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Feast Of Corpus Christi
The Feast of Corpus Christi (), also known as the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, is a Christian liturgical solemnity celebrating the Real Presence of the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ in the elements of the Eucharist; it is observed by the Roman Catholic Church, in addition to certain Western Orthodox, Lutheran, and Anglican churches. Two months earlier, the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper is observed on Maundy Thursday in a sombre atmosphere leading to Good Friday. The liturgy on that day also commemorates Christ's washing of the disciples' feet, the institution of the priesthood, and the agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. The feast of Corpus Christi was proposed by Saint Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church, to Pope Urban IV, in order to create a feast focused solely on the Holy Eucharist, emphasizing the joy of the Eucharist being the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ. Having recognized in 1264 the auth ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brussels, Wisconsin
Brussels is a town in Door County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,136 at the 2010 census. The unincorporated communities of Brussels and Kolberg are located in the town. The unincorporated community of Rosiere is also located partially in the town. History Brussels, a civil town in Door County, was created on November 12, 1858. The largest Belgian-American settlement in the United States is located in portions of Brown, Kewaunee, and Door counties in Wisconsin, adjacent to the waters of Green Bay. Walloons settled the region in the 1850s and their descendants still constitute a high proportion of the population. A variety of elements attests to the Belgian-American presence: place names (Brussels, Namur, Rosiere, Luxemburg), the Walloon language, surnames, foods (booyah, trippe, and jutt), the Kermis harvest festival, and especially architecture. Many of the original wooden structures of the Belgian Americans were destroyed in a firestorm that swept across so ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Belgian American
Belgian Americans are Americans who can trace their ancestry to people from Belgium who immigrated to the United States. While the first natives of the then-Southern Netherlands arrived in America in the 17th century, the majority of Belgian immigrants arrived during the 19th and 20th centuries. According to the 2019 US census, there are 339,512 Americans who identify themselves as partially or fully of Belgian ancestry. History During the 17th century, colonists from the Southern Netherlands (the area of modern-day Belgium) lived in several of the Thirteen Colonies of North America. Settlements already existed in New York — in Wallabout (Brooklyn), on Long Island and Staten Island—and New Jersey (Hoboken, Jersey City, Pavonia, Communipaw, and Wallkill). Later, other settlers moved into the Middle States. Many names are derived from the Walloon reformed immigrants who settled there and the Dutch versions of Walloon words used to describe a locale. There were also So ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tournai
Tournai or Tournay ( ; ; nl, Doornik ; pcd, Tornai; wa, Tornè ; la, Tornacum) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. It lies southwest of Brussels on the river Scheldt. Tournai is part of Eurometropolis Lille–Kortrijk–Tournai, which had 2,155,161 residents in 2008. Tournai is one of the oldest cities in Belgium and has played an important role in the country's cultural history. It was the first capital of the Frankish Empire, with Clovis I being born here. Geography Tournai is located in the Picardy Wallonia and Romance Flanders region of Belgium, at the southern limit of the Flemish plain, in the basin of the River Scheldt (''Escaut'' in French, ''Schelde'' in Dutch). Administratively, the town is part of the Province of Hainaut, itself part of Wallonia. It is also a municipality that is part of the French-speaking Community of Belgium. Tournai has its own arrondissements, both administrative and judicial. Its area of ma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ros Beiaard Dendermonde
Ros Beiaard of Dendermonde is a large folkloristic horse. It differs from the other Ros-Beiaard horses because it is used only once every ten years and because the horse is carried by people. The Ros Beiaard is on UNESCO's list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, under the "Processional giants and dragons in Belgium and France". The legend of Ros Beiaard * See: Ros Beiaard 't Peird van Dendermonde The Ros Beiaard of Dendermonde is carried through the town every ten years by a guild of bearers, called the 'Pijnders'. In keeping with the legend, four young brothers from Dendermonde (de Vier Heemskinderen) wearing full armour sit astride the horse. The legend of Ros Beiaard is acted out during the procession. Dimensions and weight From the ground to the tallest part of the head, the Ros Beiaard is 4.85 m high. If the decorations on top are added, the horse is 5.8 m high. From nose to tail, the Ros is 5.2 m long and the width is exa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Meyboom
The Meyboom plantation (or Meiboom in Dutch, "May tree" – a bastardisation of the Dutch ''tree of joy'') is the oldest tradition in Brussels, Belgium, attested since 1308. It is held every year on 9 August, the eve of St Lawrence's Day, and consists mainly in planting a beech at the intersection of the / and the / in the City of Brussels' Marais–Jacqmain District. It is accompanied by processions and various folk activities during the day. The celebration is reminiscent of Brussels' long-standing (folkloric) feud with Leuven, which dates back to the Middle Ages. Following a friendly incident in 1974 in which the Meyboom was stolen and brought to Leuven, both cities have claimed to be planting the "real" Meyboom. Since 2008, it is recognised as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. History According to tradition, the celebration commemorates a victory of Brussels over the nearby Flemish town of Leuven in 1213. The ''Companions of St Lawren ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ducasse De Mons
The Ducasse de Mons, also commonly known as Doudou, is a popular festival that happens every year on Trinity Sunday (57 days after Easter) in the town of Mons in Belgium. The feast comprises two important parts: the procession, including the descent and the uprising of the Saint Waltrude's Shrine, as well as the combat named ''Lumeçon'' between Saint George and a dragon. Since 2008, it is recognised as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. History The Ducasse de Mons or Doudou originates in the Middle Ages. Its origins are difficult to pin down exactly. It has been attested since the 13th century (the first known mention dates from 1248). It is a procession or ''ducasse'' with act of "circumambulation" around a religious symbol (e.g. a statue of the city's patron saint), in Latin or , which can be found in many religions and beliefs. A tenacious but erroneous legend connects the Ducasse to the plague. In 1349, because Mons was touched ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ducasse D'Ath
The Ducasse d'Ath is a traditional parade held to mark the victory of David over Goliath that takes place in the town of Ath in Belgium. The parade is held on the fourth Sunday of August every year and is characterised by the presence of processional giants depicting many characters from local history. From 2008 to 2022, it was recognised as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. History The city of Ath was founded in 1140 by Baldwin IV, Count of Hainaut, by buying territory from his liegeman, Gilles de Trazegnies. The city experienced considerable expansion in the 14th century, with a church dedicated to Saint Julian of Brioude coming up outside the enclosure of the walled city. The procession used to begin at the church and proceed to the new town. The fourth Sunday of August was chosen as it fell near the feast day of Saint Julien, which is on 28 August. The large biblical figures in the procession also served the purpose of catechising a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nieuwpoort, Belgium
Nieuwpoort ( , ; vls, Nieuwpôort; french: Nieuport ) is a city and municipality located in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium, and in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the town of Nieuwpoort proper and the settlements of Ramskapelle and Sint-Joris. On 1 January 2008, Nieuwpoort had a total population of 11,062. The total area is 31.00 km² which gives a population density of 350 inhabitants per km². The current mayor of Nieuwpoort is Geert Vanden Broucke ( CD&V) In Nieuwpoort, the Yser flows into the North Sea. It was also the home of a statue created by Jan Fabre called '' Searching for Utopia''. The Stadshalle Grain Hall (market hall) with its belfry was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999 as part of the Belfries of Belgium and France site, owing to its historical civic (not religious) importance and its architecture. History It obtained city rights in 1163 from Count Philip of Flanders. The Battle of Nieu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nivelles
Nivelles (; nl, Nijvel, ; wa, Nivele; vls, Neyvel) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. The Nivelles municipality includes the former municipalities of Baulers, Bornival, Thines, and Monstreux. The Nivelles arrondissement includes all the municipalities in Walloon Brabant. The Collegiate Church of Saint Gertrude has been classified as a heritage site of Wallonia. History The rise of Nivelles Starting in 4000 BC, the Nivelles region was gradually turned into agricultural land by the Danubian settlers. Most of their ancestral Rubanean civilization was destroyed by the Roman invaders during the first century AD. In turn, most of the Roman constructions, including villas, were destroyed during the Germanic invasions of the 3rd century. In the 7th century, the territory was part of the Austrasian Frankish kingdom, and the Mayor of the Palace, Pippin of Landen, rebuilt a villa there that covered more than 78 km². After ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Goliath
Goliath ( ) ''Goləyāṯ''; ar, جُليات ''Ǧulyāt'' (Christian term) or (Quranic term). is a character in the Book of Samuel, described as a Philistine giant In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: ''gigas'', cognate giga-) are beings of human-like appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word ''giant'' is first attested in 1297 fr ... defeated by the young David in single combat. The story signified King Saul's unfitness to rule, as Saul himself should have fought for Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy), Israel. Scholars today believe that the original listed killer of Goliath was Elhanan, son of Jair, and that the authors of the Deuteronomist#Deuteronomistic history, Deuteronomic history changed the original text to credit the victory to the more famous character David. The phrase "#Modern usage of "David and Goliath", David and Goliath" has taken on a more popular meaning denoting an Underd ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
