Belgium Culture & Folklore Tourism

Belgium Culture Tourism

Despite its political and linguistic divisions, the region corresponding to today's Belgium has seen the flourishing of major artistic movements that have had tremendous influence on European art and culture. Nowadays, to a certain extent, cultural life is concentrated within each language Community, and a variety of barriers have made a shared cultural sphere less pronounced. Since the 1970s, there are no bilingual universities or colleges in the country except the Royal Military Academy and the Antwerp Maritime Academy.

Belgium Folklore Tourism

Folklore plays a major role in Belgium's cultural life, the country has a comparatively high number of processions, cavalcades, parades, ommegangs, ducasses, kermesses, and other local festivals, nearly always with an originally religious or mythological background. The three-day Carnival of Binche, near Mons, with its famous Gilles (men dressed in high, plumed hats and bright costumes) is held just before Lent (the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter). Together with the 'Processional Giants and Dragons' of Ath, Brussels, Dendermonde, Mechelen and Mons, it is recognized by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

Other examples are the three-day Carnival of Aalst 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, the annual procession of Hanswijk in Mechelen, the 15 August festivities in Liège, and the Walloon festival in Namur. Originated in 1832 and revived in the 1960s, the Gentse Feesten (a music and theatre festival organized 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' horse or donkey. 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.

Belgium Tourism Overview

Belgium Tourism Capital: City of Brussels
Belgium Tourism Coordinates: 50°51′N 4°21′E
Belgium Tourism Largest City: Brussels-Capital Region
Belgium Tourism Official Languages:
Dutch, French, German
Belgium Tourism Ethnic Groups (2024):
64.8% Belgians
35.2% other
Belgium Tourism Religions (2021):
49% Christianity
44% Catholicism
5% other Christian
40% no religion
7% Islam
3% other
Belgium Tourism Demonym(s): Belgian
Belgium Tourism Government: Federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Belgium Tourism Monarch: Philippe
Belgium Tourism Prime Minister: Alexander De Croo
Belgium Tourism Legislature: Federal Parliament
Belgium Tourism Upper House: Senate
Belgium Tourism Lower House: Chamber of Representatives
Independence from the Holy Roman Empire and Netherlands:
Declared: 4 October 1830
Recognized: 19 April 1839
Federal State: 1970
Belgium Tourism Area Total: 30,689 km2 (11,849 sq mi) (136th)
Belgium Tourism Water (%): 0.64 (2022)
Belgium Tourism Population: 2024 census Neutral increase 11,763,650
Belgium Tourism Density: 383/km2 (992.0/sq mi) (22nd)
GDP (PPP) 2024 estimate
Belgium Tourism Belgium Tourism Total: Increase $803.166 billion (37th)
Belgium Tourism Per Capita: Increase $68,079 (20th)
GDP (nominal) 2024 estimate Total: Increase $655.192 billion (23rd)
Per capita Increase $55,536 (16th)
Belgium Tourism Gini (2022): Negative increase 24.9
low inequality
Belgium Tourism HDI (2022): Increase 0.942 very high (12th)
Belgium Tourism Currency: Euro (€) (EUR)
Belgium Tourism Time Zone: UTC+1 (CET)
Summer (DST) UTC+2 (CEST)
Belgium Tourism Drives: on right
Belgium Tourism Calling Code: +32
Belgium Tourism ISO 3166 code: BE
Belgium Tourism Internet TLD: .be and .eu