CARNAVAL de BINICHE - Belgium
One of the largest and most renowned of the European carnival celebrations takes place in Binche (pronounced Ban-chay), a fortified hill town south of Brussels in Belgium. As one of the oldest surviving festivals on the continent it was recognized as a World Heritage Event by UNESCO.
The celebration is said to date back to 1549, when Mary of Hungary, Mayoress of Binche at the time, was anxious to impress her brother Charles V and his son Phillip II of Spain and so arranged for seven days of dances, banquets, military parades and firework displays to be held. As this also coincided with the return of Hispanic explorers who had discovered the Americas, the Iberian courtiers accompanying the Princes are said to have dressed up as Incas, as a reminder of the conquistadores’ recent victories. The Belgian crowd were apparently so captivated by the splendour of these colourful costumes that they continued the tradition.
The ‘Gille’ (the name refers to the popular 16th century Spanish first name ‘Gil’), is the traditional and central character of the carnival. He celebrates the return of spring. His characteristic features a brightly coloured costume and an impressive ostrich-feather hat. Each decorative detail of his costume, such as the lion of Belgium, heraldry, crowns or stars, has symbolic meaning. The Gille also wears an apertintaille, a belt of 7 to 9 bells worn around the waist, as well as a smaller bell on his shirt front. Each Gille also hides beneath a mask. The masks all have the same face and symbolize equality.
The carnival starts 49 days before Easter. On Shrove Sunday, the first of three days of Mardi Gras, the Gilles, and others in Peasant, Harlequin and Pierrot costumes, parade through the streets of Binche and dance to music played by brass bands. The festival reaches its climax when the Gilles wear their famous hats. Weighing three kilos and consisting of nearly 300 ostrich feathers, these hats are a reminder of Inca headdresses.
Everything kicks off at about four in the morning with the ‘collection’ of participants. To the sound of a reed pipe playing a traditional tune the Gilles go from house to house collecting all the members of their particular Gille group. They are welcomed into each home with a glass of champagne. Next, nearly a thousand Gilles proceed to the station where they meet for a champagne and oyster breakfast. From there they carry on to a long parade where they give out (or sometimes throw) oranges to the crowd. As evening draws in everyone meets to dance around a huge carnival bonfire. The party carries on all night but the drums fall silent as the sun rises on Ash Wednesday, signaling the beginning of Lent.
RESOURCES
Official website of the Carnaval de Binche
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