Important Belgian Traditions

Holidays and Festivals

Like most other countries, Belgium observes public holidays and special events with a celebration. There are also a number of local religious festivals in the various towns and cities, mostly observed through processions, parades, and street fairs.

Some examples of festivals that perennially draw huge numbers of visitors are the Gentse Festeen in Ghent, and the Carnival of Binche.

The Gentse Festeen is a 10-day music and theatre celebration in July and is said to be the third largest festival in all of Europe.

The Carnival of Binche on the other hand, is a cultural event that takes place for three days prior to Ash Wednesday, culminating in the parade of performers dressed in colorful costumes, masks and wooden footwear known as the Gilles on “Shrove Tuesday”. It has been designated as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity Masterpiece.

There is also the Procession of the Holy Blood in Bruges which is traditionally held in May.

An important holiday that is celebrated all throughout the country is the King’s Feast (Dag van du Dynastie) a traditional public holiday in honor of the King. Most offices are closed during this day and it is observed quietly around the country.

Then there is Christmas, starting with the feast of Saint Nicholas on December 6th  (or Pere Noel for French-speaking communities in Belgium). Children receive gifts, sweets and chocolates for good children, supposedly left by Saint Nicholas. On the eve of Christmas, families gather in their homes for a lavish meal that ends with the serving of the La Buche de Noel, a traditional chocolate log made of sponge roll, cream and covered with chocolate butter cream. And on Christmas Day, most Belgians go to their churches with their families and continue their celebrations together with their friends the whole day.

New Year’s Eve is known as Saint Sylvester’s Eve and similar to other Western countries, parties are thrown and at the stroke of twelve everyone exchanges kisses, wishes of good fortune and toasts. On New Year’s Day or Nieuwjaarsdarg, children read greetings of good tidings and wishes for a good year to their parents and even godparents.

As well, there’s the traditional Christmas Markets which turn the main streets into Winter Wonderland, Easter and Carnival to mark the beginning of Spring. Major ethnic groups also have their own holidays such as the French, Flemish and German.

Cuisine

Belgians like their food in ample quantity and of good quality. Whilst there are a lot of restaurants in the country that serve top-rated cuisine, most Belgians prefer traditional, homemade food. Staples in a Belgian meal would be vegetables, bread, meat and creamy sauces. Lunch is the main meal of the day and dinners on weekdays is usually a light supper of egg, cheese or fish dishes, with some bread or soup. Belgium has also been known worldwide for its beer, chocolates, waffles, French fries, endives and mussels. In various parts of the country, festivals that highlight a specific food or drink are traditionally done – there’s the Beer Festival, the Potato Day and the Chocolate Festival.

Wedding and Marriage

In Belgium, couples can either be married in a civil ceremony or in a religious ceremony inside a church. To announce a wedding, invitations are printed on two sheets of paper – one for each side of the couple’s family, signifying a new union of the two families. In a traditional Belgian wedding, the woman carries a handkerchief with her name embroidered on it. This handkerchief is then framed and hung inside the wall, to be taken down when there’s another wedding in the bride’s family and the new bride’s name is then embroidered on it. The wedding handkerchief is then considered a family heirloom, passed on from generation to generation.
Other traditions include that of the bridesmaids taking up a collection of coins during the wedding and tossed to the poor outside the Church.

Family Meals and Celebrations

Sunday is a special day for family as it means a specially prepared dinner. Dinner or party guests to a Belgian home are expected to bring either a bouquet of flowers or a box of chocolate or candies for their hosts. A customary greeting is to exchange three kisses on the cheeks, alternating the kisses from left to right while shaking hands. Another tradition for adult guests would be to share an aperitif before the actual dinner.  After dinner, guests and family also share a dessert (no Belgian meal is complete without this) and an after-dinner coffee with a Belgian liqueur.