Belgian culture involves both the aspects shared by all Belgians regardless of the language they speak and the differences between the main cultural communities: the Dutch-speaking Belgians (Flemish) and the French-speaking Belgians (mostly Brussels and Walloon people). Most Belgians view their culture as an integral part of European culture. The territory corresponding to present-day Belgium having always been located at the meeting point of Germanic and Latin Europe, it benefited from a rich cross-fertilization of cultures for centuries. Due to its strategic position in the heart of Europe, Belgium has been at the origin of many European artistic and cultural movements. Famous elements of the Belgian culture include gastronomy (

Belgian beers Beer in Belgium includes pale ales, lambics, Flemish red ales, sour brown ales, strong ales and stouts. In 2018, there were 304 active breweries in Belgium, including international companies, such as AB InBev, and traditional breweries includin ...

, fries, chocolate, waffles, etc.), the comic strip tradition ( Tintin, the Smurfs, Spirou & Fantasio, the Marsupilami, Lucky Luke, Largo Winch, etc.), painting and architecture (the

Art Nouveau Art Nouveau (; ) is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. The style is known by different names in different languages: in German, in Italian, in Catalan, and also known as the Modern ...

, the Mosan art, the

Early Netherlandish painting Early Netherlandish painting, traditionally known as the Flemish Primitives, refers to the work of artists active in the Burgundian and Habsburg Netherlands during the 15th- and 16th-century Northern Renaissance period. It flourished especiall ...

, the Flemish renaissance and

Baroque painting Baroque painting is the painting associated with the Baroque cultural movement. The movement is often identified with Absolutism, the Counter Reformation and Catholic Revival,Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture), folklore, and

surrealism Surrealism is a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to l ...

(in art as well as in the attitude of most Belgians). Since modern culture is more than ever related to languages (theatres, media, literature, etc), the modern Belgian cultural life has tended to develop in each linguistic community (with common elements however). Members of each of the two main linguistic groups generally make their cultural choices from within their own language 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 tend to focus more on cultural life in France and elsewhere in the

French-speaking world French language, French became an international language in the Middle Ages, when the power of the Kingdom of France made it the second Lingua franca, international language, alongside Latin. This status continued to grow into the 18th century, ...

even though the English-speaking culture is more present in French-speaking Belgium than in France. Minorities, such as the Jews who have formed a component of Flemish culture — in particular that of

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

— for over five hundred years, have specific cultures.

Art

Painting

Belgium's contributions to painting have been especially rich. The Mosan art, the Early Netherlandish, the Flemish Renaissance, and

Baroque painting Baroque painting is the painting associated with the Baroque cultural movement. The movement is often identified with Absolutism, the Counter Reformation and Catholic Revival, are milestones in the history of art. While the 15th century's art in the Low Countries is dominated by the religious paintings of

Jan van Eyck Jan van Eyck ( , ; – July 9, 1441) was a painter active in Bruges who was one of the early innovators of what became known as Early Netherlandish painting, and one of the most significant representatives of Early Northern Renaissance art. Ac ...

and Rogier van der Weyden, the 16th century is characterised by a broader panel of styles such as Peter Breughel's landscape paintings and

Lambert Lombard Lambert Lombard (c. 1505 – August 1566) was a Renaissance painter, architect and theorist for the Prince-Bishopric of Liège. During his career he worked for Jan Gossaert in Middelburg and trained Frans Floris. Biography Lombard was bor ...

's representation of the antique. Though the Baroque style of Peter Paul Rubens and

Anthony van Dyck Sir Anthony van Dyck (, many variant spellings; 22 March 1599 – 9 December 1641) was a Brabantian Flemish Baroque artist who became the leading court painter in England after success in the Southern Netherlands and Italy. The seventh c ...

flourished in the early 17th century in the Southern Netherlands, it gradually declined thereafter.—A general presentation of the Flemish artistic movement with a list of its artists, linking to their biographies and artworks During the 19th and 20th centuries many original

romantic Romantic may refer to: Genres and eras * The Romantic era, an artistic, literary, musical and intellectual movement of the 18th and 19th centuries ** Romantic music, of that era ** Romantic poetry, of that era ** Romanticism in science, of that e ...

, expressionist and surrealist Belgian painters emerged, including James Ensor and other artists belonging to the Les XX group, Constant Permeke,

Paul Delvaux Paul Delvaux (; 23 September 1897 – 20 July 1994) was a Belgian painter noted for his dream-like scenes of women, classical architecture, trains and train stations, and skeletons, often in combination. He is often considered a surrealist, alt ...

and René Magritte. The avant-garde CoBrA movement appeared in the 1950s, while the sculptor

Panamarenko Henri Van Herwegen (5 February 1940 – 14 December 2019), known by the pseudonym Panamarenko, was a prominent assemblagist Belgian sculptor. Famous for his work with aeroplanes as theme; none of which are able nor constructed to actually leave ...

remains a remarkable figure in contemporary art.—List of Belgian painters, linking to their biographies and artworks Multidisciplinary artists

Jan Fabre Jan Fabre (born 14 December 1958) is a Belgian multidisciplinary artist, playwright, stage director, choreographer and designer. Conviction for sexual assault and harassment In September 2018, twenty former members of Fabre's performing ar ...

, Wim Delvoye and the painter Luc Tuymans are other internationally renowned figures on the contemporary art scene.

Comics

Belgium has numerous well-known

cartoonist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comic book illustrators in that they produce both the literary and ...

s, such as Hergé ('' The Adventures of Tintin''), Peyo ('' The Smurfs''), Franquin ('' Spirou et Fantasio'', '' Marsupilami'', ''

Gaston Gaston is a masculine given name of French origin and a surname. The name "Gaston" may refer to: People First name *Gaston I, Count of Foix (1287–1315) *Gaston II, Count of Foix (1308–1343) *Gaston III, Count of Foix (1331–1391) *Gaston ...

''), Willy Vandersteen ('' Spike and Suzy''), Morris ('' Lucky Luke''),

Edgar P. Jacobs Edgard Félix Pierre Jacobs (30 March 1904 – 20 February 1987), better known under his pen name Edgar P. Jacobs, was a Belgium, Belgian comic book creator (writer and artist), born in Brussels, Belgium. He was one of the founding fathers of the ...

('' Blake and Mortimer''),

Jef Nys Jozef "Jef" Nys (30 January 1927 – 20 October 2009) was a Belgian comic book creator. He was best known for his comic strip '' Jommeke''. Biography Early years Jozef Nys was born in Berchem, Belgium in 1927.De Weyer, Geert (2005). "Jef Ny ...

('' 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.

Museums

Some of the most impressive museums in Belgium are The Royal Museum for Fine Arts, in

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

, which has an admirable collection of works by Peter Paul Rubens, the Groeningemuseum, in Bruges, with the

Flemish Primitives Early Netherlandish painting, traditionally known as the Flemish Primitives, refers to the work of artists active in the Burgundian Netherlands, Burgundian and Habsburg Netherlands during the 15th- and 16th-century Northern Renaissance period. ...

, the MAS (Museum Aan De Stroom) in Antwerp which is located on 't eilandje is the biggest museum in Belgium, and the

Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium (french: Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, nl, Koninklijke Musea voor Schone Kunsten van België) are a group of art museums in Brussels, Belgium. They include six museums: the Oldmasters Muse ...

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 17th century.

Architecture

Examples of Belgian architecture include the Romanesque ''Collégiale Saint-Gertrude de Nivelles'' (1046) and '' Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Tournai'', the Gothic 15th-century Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp and

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

Brussels Grand-Place.

Mosan Renaissance Mosan Renaissance also known, at least in French, as the Mosan style, is a regional architectural style dating from the 16th to 18th centuries. The style is related to Renaissance architecture, but with very limited classical influence; it has bee ...

style is typical of the architecture within the Prince-Bishopric of Liège. Belgian contributions to architecture also continued into the 19th and 20th centuries, including the work of Victor Horta and Henry van de Velde, who were major initiators of the

style in Belgium and abroad.Brussels, capital of Art Nouveau (page 1)
, (for example)

Literature

Belgium has produced several well-known

authors An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

, including the poets Emile Verhaeren, Guido Gezelle, Robert Goffin, Paul van Ostaijen, and Henri Michaux, as well as the novelists Hendrik Conscience, Stijn Streuvels,

Charles de Coster Charles-Theodore-Henri De Coster (20 August 1827 – 7 May 1879) was a Belgian novelist whose efforts laid the basis for a native Belgian literature. Early life and education He was born in Munich; his father, Augustin De Coster, was a nati ...

, Willem Elsschot, Michel de Ghelderode, Georges Simenon, Louis Paul Boon,

Suzanne Lilar Baroness Suzanne Lilar (née ''Suzanne Verbist''; 21 May 1901 – 11 December 1992) was a Flemish Belgian essayist, novelist, and playwright writing in French. She was the wife of the Belgian Minister of Justice Albert Lilar and mother of the ...

, Hugo Claus,

Pierre Mertens Pierre Mertens (born 9 October 1939) 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 ...

, Ernest Claes, and Amélie Nothomb. The poet and playwright Maurice Maeterlinck won the

Nobel Prize in literature ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , caption = , awarded_for = Outstanding contributions in literature , presenter = Swedish Academy , holder = Annie Ernaux (2022) , location = Stockholm, Sweden , year = 1901 , ...

in 1911. Belgian literature was more cohesive in the past but is now divided based on linguistic lines. Until the mid-20th 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 as well as within Belgium itself (e.g. Suzanne Lilar, Emile Verhaeren, and Maurice Maeterlinck). As the Flemish movement grew in importance, Dutch-penned authors became increasingly prominent in Flanders and even played an important role in the said movement (e.g. Hendrik Conscience). Important contemporary Flemish authors are Tom Lanoye or Dimitri Verhulst. Belgian francophone literature is sometimes difficult to distinguish from French literature as a whole, because several great French authors went to Belgium for refuge (e.g. Apollinaire,

Baudelaire Charles Pierre Baudelaire (, ; ; 9 April 1821 – 31 August 1867) was a French poet who also produced notable work as an essayist and art critic. His poems exhibit mastery in the handling of rhyme and rhythm, contain an exoticism inherited fro ...

, Rimbaud, Verlaine, and more recently Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt) and conversely, top French-speaking writers sometimes settle in Paris (e.g. Simenon and Amélie Nothomb). Belgian francophone literature is characterised 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), as well as references to Belgian history and society (such as Belgian royalty, language conflicts, former colony of the Congo, Belgian beers and gastronomy, and whatever is typically Belgian) and they are often active in Belgian medias as columnists or entertainers. Such authors include

Thomas Gunzig Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the Ap ...

Juan d'Oultremont ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of '' John''. It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking communities around the world and in the Philippines, and also (pronounced differently) in the Isle of Man. In Spanish, ...

, and

Jacques Mercier Jacques Mercier (born 17 October 1943 in Mouscron) 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 Septembe ...

. There have also been writers in the Walloon language, such as

Nicolas Defrecheux Nicolas or Nicolás may refer to: People Given name * Nicolas (given name) Mononym * Nicolas (footballer, born 1999), Brazilian footballer * Nicolas (footballer, born 2000), Brazilian footballer Surname Nicolas * Dafydd Nicolas (c.1705–17 ...

and Edouard Remouchamps.

Cinema

Belgian cinema Cinema of Belgium refers to the film industry based in Belgium. Belgium is essentially a bi-lingual country divided into the Flemish (Dutch-speaking) north and the French-speaking south. There is also a small community of German speakers in the ...

has brought a number of mainly Flemish novels to life on-screen. Notable examples include ''De Witte'' (1934, remake as ''De Witte van Sichem'', 1980); ''De man die zijn haar kort liet knippen'' (1965); ''Mira'' (1971); '' Malpertuis'' (1971); ''De loteling'' (1974); ''Dood van een non'' (1975); ''Pallieter'' (1976); ''De komst van Joachim Stiller'' (1976); '' De Leeuw van Vlaanderen'' (1985); and '' Daens'' (1992). Belgian films have been awarded several times at the Cannes Film Festival and in other less-known festivals. They are generally made with a 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, also known as embedded marketing, is a marketing technique where references to specific brands or products are incorporated into another work, such as a film or television program, with specific promotional intent. Much of th ...

. Famous Belgian directors include André Delvaux,

Stijn Coninx Stijn, Baron Coninx (born 21 February 1957) is a Belgian film director. Career He studied film directing at HRITCS (currently Ritcs, at Erasmus Hogeschool Brussel). Baron Coninx is best known for his film ''Daens'', which was nominated for a ...

, Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne; well-known actors include Jean-Claude Van Damme, Jan Decleir and Marie Gillain; and successful films include '' Bullhead, Man Bites Dog'' and ''

The Alzheimer Affair ''The Alzheimer Case'' (also known as ''The Alzheimer Affair'' or ''The Memory of a Killer''; nl, De zaak Alzheimer) is a 2003 Belgian action thriller film directed by Erik Van Looy, based on the novel ''De zaak Alzheimer'' by Jef Geeraerts. It ...

''.A review of the Belgian cinema till about 2000 can be found at

Music

The vocal music of the Franco-Flemish School developed in the southern part of the Low Countries and was an important contribution to Renaissance culture. 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. In the 19th and 20th centuries, there was an emergence of major violinists, such as Henri Vieuxtemps, Eugène Ysaÿe and Arthur Grumiaux. Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxophone, was born in Belgium, and so were many important classical composers. One of the most famous is César Franck, but

Guillaume Lekeu Jean Joseph Nicolas Guillaume Lekeu (20 January 1870 – 21 January 1894) was a Belgian composer. Life Lekeu was born in Heusy, a village near Verviers, Belgium. He originally studied piano and music theory under Alphonse Voss, the director of ...

and Wim Mertens are also noteworthy. Contemporary popular music in Belgium is also of repute. Well-known singers include Lara Fabian, Stromae,

Jacques Brel Jacques Romain Georges Brel (, ; 8 April 1929 – 9 October 1978) was a Belgian singer and actor who composed and performed literate, thoughtful, and theatrical songs that generated a large, devoted following—initially in Belgium and France, l ...

, Arno, Maurane, Bobbejaan Schoepen, Salvatore Adamo, Philippe Lafontaine and Pierre Rapsat. Other popular Belgian pop acts include

Axelle Red Fabienne Demal (born 15 February 1968), better known by her stage name Axelle Red, is a Belgian singer-songwriter. She has released 11 albums, including '' Sans plus attendre'', '' À Tâtons'', '' Toujours Moi'' and '' Jardin Secret''; she is b ...

, Vaya Con Dios, Kate Ryan and K3. In rock/pop music, Telex,

Front 242 Front 242 is a Belgian electronic music group that came into prominence during the 1980s. Pioneering the style they called electronic body music, they are a profound influence on the electronic and industrial music genres. History Formation Fr ...

, K's Choice, Hooverphonic, Zap Mama, Soulwax and

dEUS ''Deus'' (, ) is the Latin word for "god" or "deity". Latin ''deus'' and ''dīvus'' ("divine") are in turn descended from Proto-Indo-European *'' deiwos'', "celestial" or "shining", from the same root as '' *Dyēus'', the reconstructed chief g ...

are well known. In the heavy metal scene, bands like

Machiavel Machiavel is the traditional French rendition of the surname of the Italian philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli. In English, it may refer to: *Machiavellianism (politics), especially a stock type of villain in Elizabethan drama (also Machievel) *Mac ...

, Channel Zero and Enthroned have a worldwide fan-base.Two comprehensive discussions of rock and pop music in Belgium since the 1950s:

Belgium has a very active jazz scene that is achieving international recognition with bands like

Aka Moon Aka Moon is the Belgian jazz trio of saxophonist Fabrizio Cassol, bassist Michel Hatzigeorgiou and drummer Stéphane Galland. Aka Moon combines jazz, rock, and world music. ''In Real Time'' (2001) was composed for ballet company of Anne-Teresa ...

, Maak's Spirit and

Octurn Octurn is a Belgian polyrhythmic jazz ensemble led by Bo Van Der Werf ( baritone saxophone and clarinet). Its lineup as well as the composers are changed for every album. They always play with at least 3 saxophones and from 2002 they have been ...

. Harmonicist Toots Thielemans, guitarist Philip Catherine and Django Reinhardt are probably the best known Belgian jazz musicians. Belgian hip-hop started with the rise of Starflam, CNN (a Brussels-based crew) and

'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 'commercial court' in their local dialect. Almost all their raps/lyrics are in West Flemish, ...

in the mid-1990s. The country has also influenced electronic music with a.o.

, Praga Khan (also known as

Lords of Acid Lords of Acid is a Belgian/American electronic dance music (EDM) group led by musician Praga Khan. They are best known for making songs with sexual lyrics and sexually explicit tracks, such as their hit " Pussy". History Lords of Acid debu ...

) and 2 Many DJ's. Belgium is also home to some very popular music festivals such as Tomorrowland,

Rock Werchter Rock Werchter is an annual music festival held in the village of Werchter, near Leuven, Belgium, since 1976 and is a large sized rock music festival. The 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2012 and 2014 festivals received the Arthur award for ''best festiv ...

and

Pukkelpop Pukkelpop is an annual music festival that takes place near the city of Hasselt, Belgium, in mid- to late August. It is held within a large enclosure of fields and woodland—adjacent to a dual carriageway called ''Kempische Steenweg''—in the ...

Fashion

Belgium is also home to a number of successful fashion designers. For instance, in the 1980s, Antwerp's Royal Academy of Fine Arts produced important fashion trendsetters, known as the

Antwerp Six The Antwerp Six refers to a group of fashion designers who graduated from Antwerp's Royal Academy of Fine Arts between 1980–81. The press began referring to them as a group beginning in about 1990, though the designers are united mostly by ...

Cuisine

Belgium is famous for beer, chocolate, waffles and

French fries French fries (North American English), chips (British English), finger chips ( Indian English), french-fried potatoes, or simply fries, are '' batonnet'' or ''allumette''-cut deep-fried potatoes of disputed origin from Belgium and France. Th ...

. The national dishes are " steak and fries", and " mussels with fries". Republished from Republished from Many highly ranked Belgian restaurants can be found in the most influential restaurant guides, such as the Michelin Guide. One of the many beers with the high prestige is that of the Trappist monks. Technically, it is an

ale Ale is a Type of beer, type of beer brewed using a Warm fermentation, warm fermentation method, resulting in a sweet, full-bodied and fruity taste. Historically, the term referred to a drink brewed without hops. As with most beers, ale typicall ...

and traditionally each abbey's beer is served in its own glass (the forms, heights and widths are different). There are only eleven breweries (six of them are Belgian) that are allowed to brew Trappist beer. Although Belgian gastronomy is connected to French cuisine, some

recipe A recipe is a set of instructions that describes how to prepare or make something, especially a dish of prepared food. A sub-recipe or subrecipe is a recipe for an ingredient that will be called for in the instructions for the main recipe. His ...

s were reputedly invented there, such as French fries (despite the name, although their exact place of origin is uncertain),

Flemish Stew Flemish Stew, known in Dutch as stoofvlees or stoverij and in French as carbon(n)ade ''à la flamande''bay laurel), speculaas (or ''speculoos'' in French, a sort of cinnamon and ginger-flavoured shortcrust

biscuit A biscuit is a flour-based baked and shaped food product. In most countries biscuits are typically hard, flat, and unleavened. They are usually sweet and may be made with sugar, chocolate, icing, jam, ginger, or cinnamon. They can also be ...

), Brussels waffles (and their variant,

Liège waffle A waffle is a dish made from leavened Batter (cooking), batter or dough that is cooked between two plates that are patterned to give a characteristic size, shape, and surface impression. There are many variations based on the type of waffle iro ...

s),

waterzooi Waterzooi is a stew dish from Belgium and originating in Flanders. The second part of the name derives from the Middle Dutch terms ''sode'', ''zo(o)de ''and ''soot'', words referring to the act of boiling or the ingredients being boiled.''van Da ...

(a broth made with chicken or fish, cream and vegetables), endive with bechamel sauce, Brussels sprouts,

Belgian pralines Pralines, also known as Belgian chocolates, Belgian chocolate fondants or chocolate bonbons, are cases of chocolate (if from Belgium usually a quality, branded lower-melting point Belgian chocolate) filled with a soft centre. Jean Neuhaus II, ...

(Belgium has some of the most renowned chocolate houses), ''charcuterie'' (deli meats) and ''

Paling in 't groen (Dutch) or ( French) is a Belgian dish, mainly from the Flemish Region along the river Scheldt, between Dendermonde and Antwerp. The Dutch name (literally 'Eel in the Green') refers to freshwater eel in a green herb sauce.eels in a sauce of green herbs). Brands of Belgian chocolate and pralines, like

Côte d'Or Côte is a British cafe chain founded by Richard Caring, Andy Bassadone, Chris Benians and Nick Fiddler in Wimbledon, London Wimbledon () is a district and town of Southwest London, England, southwest of the centre of London at Charing Cross ...

, Neuhaus, Leonidas and Godiva are famous, as well as independent producers such as Burie and Del Rey in Antwerp and Mary's in Brussels. Belgium produces over 1100 varieties of beer. The Trappist beer of the Abbey of Westvleteren has repeatedly been rated the world's best beer. The biggest brewer in the world by volume is

Anheuser-Busch InBev Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, commonly known as AB InBev, is an American-Belgian multinational drink and brewing company based in Leuven, Belgium. AB InBev has a global functional management office in New York City, and regional headquarters ...

, based in

Leuven Leuven (, ) or Louvain (, , ; german: link=no, Löwen ) is the capital and largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipality itself comprises the historic ...

Folklore

Folklore plays a major role in Belgium's cultural life; the country has a comparatively high number of processions, cavalcades, parades,

ommegang Ommegang or Ommeganck (Dutch: "walk around" (the church, village or city), ) is the generic name for various medieval pageants celebrated in the Low Countries (areas that are now within Belgium, the Netherlands, and northern France). Ommegang o ...

s, ducasses, kermesses, and other local festivals, nearly always with an originally religious or mythological background. The three-day Carnival of Binche, near

Mons Mons (; German and nl, Bergen, ; Walloon and pcd, Mont) is a city and municipality of Wallonia, and the capital of the province of Hainaut, Belgium. Mons was made into a fortified city by Count Baldwin IV of Hainaut in the 12th century. T ...

, with its famous Gilles (men dressed in high, plumed hats and bright costumes) is held just before

Lent Lent ( la, Quadragesima, 'Fortieth') is a solemn religious observance in the liturgical calendar commemorating the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke ...

(the 40 days between

Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday is a holy day of prayer and fasting in many Western Christian denominations. It is preceded by Shrove Tuesday and falls on the first day of Lent (the six weeks of penitence before Easter). It is observed by Catholics in the Rom ...

and Easter). Together with the 'Processional Giants and Dragons' of Ath, Brussels,

Dendermonde Dendermonde (; french: Termonde, ) is a city in the Flemish province of East Flanders in Belgium. The municipality comprises the city of Dendermonde and the towns of Appels, Baasrode, Grembergen, Mespelare, Oudegem, Schoonaarde, and Sint-Gillis-b ...

Mechelen Mechelen (; french: Malines ; traditional English name: MechlinMechelen has been known in English as ''Mechlin'', from where the adjective ''Mechlinian'' is derived. This name may still be used, especially in a traditional or historical contex ...

and

, it is recognised by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Other examples are the three-day

Carnival of Aalst The Carnival of Aalst (Dutch: ''Carnaval Aalst'', local dialect: ''Carnaval Oilsjt'') or Aalst Carnival is an annual three-day event in the Belgian city of Aalst that was removed as a UNESCO Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Hu ...

in February or March; the still very religious processions of the Holy Blood taking place in Bruges in May, the Virga Jesse procession held every seven years in

Hasselt Hasselt (, , ; la, Hasseletum, Hasselatum) is a Belgian city and municipality, and capital and largest city of the province of Limburg in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is known for its former branding as "the city of taste", as well as its ...

, the annual procession of Hanswijk in Mechelen, the 15 August festivities in

Liège Liège ( , , ; wa, Lîdje ; nl, Luik ; german: Lüttich ) is a major city and municipality of Wallonia and the capital of the Belgian province of Liège. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east of Belgium, not far from b ...

, and the Walloon festival in

Namur Namur (; ; nl, Namen ; wa, Nameur) is a city and municipality in Wallonia, Belgium. It is both the capital of the province of Namur and of Wallonia, hosting the Parliament of Wallonia, the Government of Wallonia and its administration. Namu ...

. Originated in 1832 and revived in the 1960s, the Gentse Feesten (a music and theatre festival organised in Ghent around Belgian National Day, on 21 July) have become a modern tradition. Several of these festivals include sporting competitions, such as cycling, and many fall under the category of kermesses. A major non-official holiday (which is however not an official public holiday) is Saint Nicholas Day (Dutch: '' Sinterklaas'', French: ''la Saint-Nicolas''), a festivity for children, and in Liège, for students. It takes place each year on 6 December and is a sort of early Christmas. On the evening of 5 December, 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 The domestic donkey is a hoofed mammal in the family Equidae, the same family as the horse. It derives from the African wild ass, ''Equus africanus'', and may be classified either as a subspecies thereof, ''Equus africanus asinus'', or as a ...

. According to tradition, Saint 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 Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a Legend, legendary figure originating in Western Christianity, Western Christian culture who is said to Christmas gift-bringer, bring ...

Notes

References

External links

Belgium portal in Dutch, English, French, and German

{{Culture of Europe

Art