Thursday, February 4, 2010

Amazing The Carnival of Binche

Amazing The Carnival of BincheAmazing The Carnival of Binche
Amazing The Carnival of BincheAmazing The Carnival of Binche
Amazing The Carnival of BincheAmazing The Carnival of Binche
Amazing The Carnival of Binche
Amazing The Carnival of Binche.......................
The Carnival of Binche is without question the most famous carnival in all of Belgium, and while folks from around the world come to experience it, it is exceedingly popular with citizens of nearby France. A Catholic carnival, the Carnival of Binche has its roots in the Christian faith, and it is more or less the last hurray before the praying and fasting of Lent begin. There is no question that this top carnivals in Belgium has quite a history to it, but there are different opinions as to just how far back it goes. The three main days of this traditional carnival in Belgium are known as the, Äúfatty days,, Au and they start on the last Sunday before Lent. At 10 a.m. on this Fat Tuesday, the, ÄúMam, Äôselles, Au parade commences, and it includes a procession of folks dressed in all kinds of outfits.

Performers are decked out in traditional costumes, and these costumes can be quite diverse, some pertaining to animals, others depicting a certain character or person.
The most important characters of the Catholic Binche Carnival are the Gilles, who are all men and boys. They number somewhere around 1,000, and they all wear a traditional outfit that involves red and black body garments, Ostrich-Feather hats, and wax masks. Each Gille, AOS mask has a curled moustache and a signature pair of spectacles. The Gilles typically enjoy a traditional oysters and champagne breakfast before hitting The Streets to perform for the Masses. In addition to the Gilles, harlequins, Pierrots, and peasant characters help to make Fat Tuesday even more special, and you, Äôll want to pay attention to the fancy footwork that some of the dancers put on.

While the Binche Belgium Carnival is at its best on the three days leading up to Lent, it actually starts 49 days before Lent begins. For seven weeks, Sundays include some form of ritualistic dance or ceremony, the last procession on Mardi Gras takes place at around 3 pm, and it is when the Gilles are known to toss Oranges to and at crowd members, so keep your eyes peeled. After the last procession, folks generally mill about the town center, enjoying further celebrations. The evening is capped off with the week, AOS best fireworks show. Every February on the three days leading up to Lent, the town of Binche puts on its world-famous carnival, which is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Binche, like the Belgian cities of Liege and Dinant, is found in the Walloon region of the country, which is predominantly French-speaking. It is a small Medieval town with just over 30.000 residents, but this small town knows how to throw a good carnival.

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