Binche Carnival, Belgium

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What is the Carnival of Binche?

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The Binche Carnival is an annual celebration held in the city of Binche, Belgium. The carnival is the most important celebration of the City of Binche, counting with 3 official days of festivities that encourage fraternization. The celebration has a history dating back to the 14th century and consists of a wide range of street performances, musical presentations, dancing and traditional parades.

The tradition has been going on for centuries, soin its beginnings it was only passed down orally from generation to generation. The Binche carnival is a highly genuine and popular celebration, recognized for its long tradition and unique elements. It is also one of the oldest carnivals in all of Europe.

 

Due to its great cultural, economic and social impact, theBinche carnivals have been recognized as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2003..

The carnival has some particularities, one of them is the large number ofsocieties or guilds that are responsible for transmitting, developing and preserving the heritage of the carnivals and its valuable historical characters..

Societies

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The societies are the groupings or vehicles, whose purpose is to maintain and transmit the traditions of the carnivals. In addition, one of their most important duties is to take care of their members. Each of the societies is made up of a specific character, so there are no mixed societies. The societies have strictly percussionists, musicians and perform all the logistics linked to the “collection” or “lifting” of the Gilles. Each society is led by a committee, a president, a vice-president, a secretary and a treasurer.

The societies are also made up of commissioners, who are representatives of the Association for the Defense of Folklore and must maintain cohesion within the society and ensure that everyone respects the calendar and rules for the smooth running of the festivities.

Currently the carnivals are made up of 13 societies:

• • Royal Society les Récalcitrants

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• • Royal Society Les Petits Gilles
  • The Royal Society Les Indépendants
  • The Royal Society Les Indépendants
  • The Royal Society Les Paysans
  • Royal Society Les Paysans
  • The Royal Society Les Pierrots
  • Royal Society Les Pierrots
  • The Royal Society Les Réguénaires
  • Royal Society Les Réguénaires
  • The Royal Society Les Maxim’s
  • The Royal Society Les Maxim’s
  • The Royal Society
  • Royal Society
  • The Royal Society Les Supporters
  • Royal Society Les Supporters
  • The Royal Society Les Incas
  • Royal Society Les Incas
  • The Arlequins Society
  • The Royal Society Les Arlequins
  • The Incorruptibles
  • The Incorruptibles Society

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• The Society Les Jeunes Indépendants
• The Society Les Jeunes Indépendants
• The Society Les Arpeyants
• Society Les Arpeyants

We accompany you to discover everything about theBinche Carnivals in Belgium..

 

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When is Binche Carnival?

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The Binche Carnival takes place 3 days before Ash Wednesday. The carnival is held from approximately February 27 to March 1.

 

 

History of the Carnivals of Binche

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The traditions of theBinche carnival are extremely old, one of the oldest in all of Europe. The tradition has been transmitted orally from general to generation, when it could not yet be recorded on paper.

The Carnival of Binche is characterized by its originality and authenticity. The celebrations are still practiced in the same way as in the beginning, since the societies and families involved with the carnivals have taken care of maintaining the traditions.

The origin of carnivals is still unclear due to their long historical trajectory. Historians and experts who have been studying the carnivals for half a century, but have not been able to obtain hard evidence to locate the history of the Gille or its origins from before the 18th century due to lack of evidence or flaws in the evidence.

One of the most famous legends is the one that indicates that the character of the Gille is based on Inca elements and that his costume had emerged at a festival in Hungary in the year 1549. This hypothesis is one of the most pleasing to the participants, due to its somewhat mysterious and exotic origin. However, it is far from conclusive, so the origins remain fuzzy to this day.

 

Where is the Binche Carnival

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The carnival is held in the city of Binche located in theprovince of Hainaut, southwestern Belgium. The city has an area of 60 square km and a population of 33,000 people.

 

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How the Binche Carnival is celebrated

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The Binche Carnival is probablyone of the most popular celebrations in the whole city and in Belgium. Year after year, hundreds of thousands of people come to the city to see all the peculiar elements of the carnival. The characters that make up the parades are probably the most striking attraction of the festivities, each of them developing particular activities or tasks. In addition, the tradition of the characters has been passed down from generation to generation for centuries.

In addition, the Binche Carnivals have a series of characters that are indispensable for the smooth running of the dates. These characters are what have made the carnival one of the most famous festivals in the world.

 

Gille

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Gille is one of the main characters and his costume can only be used for this carnival day. In fact, the rules with the costume are quite strict, as the outfit can never leave the city. The men are the only ones who can wear the costume and must be resident in the city for at least 5 years.

The Gille wears a tunic and pants made of jute decorated with patterns such as stars, lions and crowns in black felt. In addition, the costume is stuffed with straw to give it a lumpy, round appearance. They have a red and yellow belt with copper bells. On their head they wear a white cotton hat and a scarf around the neck with laces on the head to keep the hat in position.

Finally, he wears a wax mask with golden details, green glasses, mustache and sideburns. During the parade he wears an ostrich feather hat and a ramon with dark-colored sticks joined by a ribbon.

 

Peasants

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They wear a mask similar to that of the Gille, but without the mustache or beard and their clothing is somewhat more sober. They wear a blue vest decorated with white sleeves, white pants, shoes decorated with ribbons, white gloves and a light-colored ramon. Generally, he wears a hat decorated with 2 white feathers and white ribbons.

 

Arlequins

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The characters can be girls or boys and are inspired by the Commedia dell’Arte. The characters wear a shirt and pants with yellow, red and green triangles that are fastened with a black belt. Their hat is green, finished with a black and gray tail. In addition, they wear half harlequin masks. During the parade they hold a bat in their hand which is decorated with colorful ribbons.

If you want to know more about tourism in this country, I recommend this guide:.

 

Pierrots

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The characters can be girls or boys. These characters are also inspired by the Commedia dell’Arte. The Pierrots wear a conical hat decorated with lace and a white ribbon on top. They wear a shirt and pants of the same color whichcan be pink, blue or yellow. During the parade they hold a stick in their hands decorated with colorful ribbons.

 

Musicians

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Each society has its own musicians who comprise percussion and winds. Each group of percussionists can have 6 or 7 members, a bass player, violas and bass drums.

The tunes are already established, so the song list is composed of the following tunes:
Air classique des Gilles

• • Lion de Belgique
  • Le postillon de Longjumeau
  • Eloi à Charleroi
  • Le petit jeune jeune

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• • Le petit jeune homme de Binche
  • Le petit jeune homme de Binche
  • L’ambulant – Vivent les Bleus
  • Paysan s’en va
  • Le Sans souci
  • Cavalcade
  • Le juif errant
  • La classe
  • Sérénade
  • Sérénade
  • Pas de charge
  • Pas de charge
  • Mère tant pis
  • Mère tant pis

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• Vos arez in aubade
• Arlequin
• Les d’gins de l’Estène
• The doudou
• Quand m’grand-mère
• Les chasseurs
• Trompette des cent gardes
• Les marins
• Les brigands
• Polka marche
• Aubade matinale

 

The official carnival fulfills a program of 3 days of celebrations that run from Shrove Sunday to Shrove Tuesday. However, some ceremonies and events also take place before the official celebrations.

Pre-Carnival

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Pre-Carnival festivities begin six weeks before the official days. The first events consist of rehearsals of bands, musicians and percussion. Events are held on Sundays in the barracks of the various carnival societies. In addition, they also rehearse in the streets of the city, parading, dancing, shaking their ramones and performing the various traditional carnival presentations.

 

Dances

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Some young people, in conjunction with the societies, perform dances or galas in which they include children and different social, political and religious sectors. At the dances, participants compete to perform costumes on themes proposed by the respective committees. Prizes are also awarded to the best costumes.

 

Trouilles du Nouilles

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The Monday before Carnival Sunday, the night of “Trouilles de Nouilles” is held in the streets of the city in which costumed and masked groups choose a person without a costume to play pranks or make bets. They usually approach cafes or main streets.

Carnival festivities

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Sunday of Carnival

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This is the first day of the carnival in which the members of the societies gather and walk the streets wearing a secret costume, but which they cover all the way. When they arrive at their destination, they reveal their costumes, which usually have nothing to do with their traditional costumes. The groups perform some dances accompanied by percussion, string and wind instruments and then perform a small procession.

The costumes for this day can vary, from kittens to baseball players or some other costume they find funny.

 

Monday Carnival

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It is known for being thechildren’s or youth day. The children of the city take to the streets to be part of the celebrations. In addition, locals and tourists can find the various youth, political, social or religious organizations, making presentations or simply being accompanied by musical bands.

Also, the groups are visited by local government officials to fraternize with them. In addition, there is a confetti war. The celebrations continue into the night. However, those who participate the next day go to bed early because the events beginbefore sunrise.

 

Tuesday of Carnival

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It is the most important day of the festivities. The event begins very early in the morning, when the “recogida” is held. The recogida is an act in which a drummer goes to the house of a Gille to and cannot leave him alone or separate from him. All the Gilles get together and drink some champagne and eat oysters.

The characters gather at the town hall to put on their masks and the medals or recognition are given to some distinguished character or group. After some dances, the people get ready to begin the parade. The parade involves all the main characters, bands and drummers through the streets of the city. In addition, it is a tradition that the characters walk with a basket of oranges that they throw into the crowd.

At the end of the parade, people congregate at the town hall to perform the burning of the city’s motto “PLVS OVLTRE“, performing afireworks show. The celebration continues until dawn the next day.

 

Tips for going to the Carnivals of Binche

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If you wish to attend the Binche Carnival, we recommend planning your trip in advance, making a travel itinerary and booking your preferred hotel in advance.

Also, remember to pack comfortable clothes and shoes so you can fully enjoy your carnival. Don’t forget to bring a warm coat, because during the festivities the weather is usually quite cold.

 

 

Events in Binche Carnival

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Pre-Carnival

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Percussion rehearsals begin 6 weeks before the official festivities and are held for a week in the center of Binche.

The children’s dance takes place a week later in the Kursaal Hall.

The next day the societies practice again in the center of town.

The Socialist Youth Association Ball is held, and the following week it is the turn of the Liberal Youth Association. Both events are held at the Kursaal Hall.

The groups meet again to rehearse for 7 days in the streets of Binche.

Finally, the dances of the Association des Jeunes Catholiques are held at the Salon Saint-Ursmer. A week before the carnival, the Trouilles de Nouilles takes place in the city center.

 

Sunday of Carnival

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At 9:00 am the entrance of the groups and bands takes place in the city center to perform some shows.

When the clock strikes 4:00 pm, a small Carnival parade takes place from Wanderpepen Avenue to Derbaix Park.

 

Monday Carnival

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At 10:00 a.m. the entrance of the percussion and bands to accompany the children of the city takes place.

Once it is 4:00 the meetings with the young people are held at the town hall.

At 7:00 pm a fireworks show takes place.

 

Tuesday of Carnival

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At dawn the collection of the Gilles takes place, the characters congregate and the respective toasts are made.

At 8:30 a.m., the placement of the wax masks and the awarding of medals take place.

When it is 3:00 pm the parade leaves to make the procession until 9:00 pm.

At 9:30 pm the burning of the city’s motto takes place at the town hall and people continue partying until dawn.

 

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Binche Carnival Parades

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During the carnival, two parades are held:

The Carnava Sunday Paradel in which the groups wear some costume of their choice that usually have nothing to do with the festivities, while being accompanied by bands.

The Grand Parade takes place on Shrove Tuesday and features the participation of each of the characters from the associations or guilds. The street is filled with multicolored costumes that are accompanied by the bands. In turn, the characters dance and perform some presentations and shows. During the parade, the characters throw or hand out oranges to visitors.

 

Parade route

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The Shrove Sunday parade begins on Wanderpepen Avenue and ends on Derbaix Avenue.

The Shrove Tuesday parade takes placefrom City Hall and runs through the main streets of the city.

 

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What to eat at the Carnival of Binche

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One of the carnival traditions by the characters of the festivities is to consume oysters with champagne during Carnival Tuesday before the whole celebration begins. Also, it is traditionsoranges during the parade, if you manage to catch some, you can consume them without problems.

However, if you are looking for something a little more consistent, you can try the Pets-de-nonne. This is a dessert which is the result of a mixture of butter, sugar, eggs and flour that is then placed to fry in plenty of sugar, and then sprinkled with sugar.

You can also try the Malmedy Baisers. These are almond and sugar cookies that are baked and then filled with a butter and egg cream.

Eating places in Binche are somewhat scarce, so we offer you some alternatives near the city: Sushi a la vie, La Trattoria Pizzeria Ristorante, Le Relais de Walhain, Restaurant La Fermette des Pins and La Porta Nova. These establishments offer a wide range of national and international dishes.

 

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Travel Insurance

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From Carnavalesdelmundo.org we recommend to hire a good insurance to visit this carnival and to know the rest of the country. For being our readers we offer a 5% discount on all IATI insurances. Read more information about all insurance offers here:

 

 

What to see and do inside the Carnival of Binche

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Binche Carnival is relatively short and its activities are quite punctual, so we recommend attending as many events as you can. Beginning the carnivals, you can attend the small congregation that the groups perform in their carnival costumes. The celebration is accompanied by a band and they perform a parade in which you can attend.

In addition, on Monday of Carnival you cangather in the plaza and watch all the activities that take place with the bands of the city. It is usually a day centered towards children, so they are the main beneficiaries of this day.

You can’t miss the last day of the festivities when theGrand Parade takes place. Throughout the event you can see the hundreds of characters taking to the streets in a joyful way, dancing and partying along with the percussion bands. Pay attention to the event so you can catch an orange or two.

If you don’t want to complicate things, here you can book interesting excursions in Spanish in this city:.

 

What to see and do outside the Binche Carnivals

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The tourist attractions you can visit during the Binche Carnival are somewhat limited, but we can offer you a couple that are located in the city:

Musée international du Carnaval et du Masque

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This is a must-see, as it is the museum of the carnivals of Binche and its masks. On the premises you can see a large number of masks with their explanations and functions, as well as several historical exhibits of masks and costumes.

 

Collegiale Saint-Ursmer Church

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It is the main church of the city. Its interior is very simple and is designed almost entirely in wood. In addition, you can see some statues and images.

Also if you want to visit museums and important buildings in this city we recommend that you book your ticket in advance through Tiquets:.

 

Safety at the Carnival of Binche

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The city of Binche is safe, so you can travel without any worries. We recommend you to implement basic safety measures and use common sense during celebrations.

It is always a good idea to keep your valuables in a safe place to avoid theft and misplacement. Also, we recommend the following products to store your valuables safely:

 

 

Weather at the Carnival of Binche

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The weather in the city of Binche during its carnivals is somewhat cold, with temperatures ranging between 7 and 1 degrees Celsius. We recommend you pack something warm for the Binche Carnival festivities.

 

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How to get to the Carnival of Binche

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How to get there by plane

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The nearest airport to the city of Binches is Charleroi Brussels South Airport, which is located 20 kilometers from the city of Binche and receives a good number of flights. Once you are here, you can avail yourself of the different means of transportation to reach the city.

We recommend buying airline tickets through Kiwi.com or Skyscanner where they are usually cheaper. More information on this link to review Kiwi.com..

 

How to get there by train

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From the airport take a bus on line A68 to Charleroi Sud. Once there, transfer and take the train to the town of Binche stopping at La Louvière-Sub. The whole journey takes one hour and thirty minutes.

You can also get from Brussels to the city’s main station.

 

How to get there by bus

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From the airport take bus 68 to Charleroi Sud. Once there, take a train on line M1 or M2 to Anderlues Monument. From there, make a transfer again and board bus line 136 to the city of Binche.

The town of Binche also connects withLa Louvière and Mons.

 

How to get there by car

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From the airport take the E42 and N563 to Binche. The drive is 30 minutes.

 

Where to stay at the Binche Carnival

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Booking.com

 

Accommodation in the city is somewhat scarce, so here are some of the options you can find in the city:

Les Remparts

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Guesthouse 300 meters from the city center of Binche. The rooms have TV, living room and private bathroom. Facilities offer garden, barbecue area, internet and free parking.

 

Gîte Binchois

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Aparthotel 600 meters from the city center of Binche. The room is 100 square meters with wifi, parking, cable TV, dishwasher, microwave and a bathroom with shower.

 

Au gîte de Binche

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Guesthouse 700 meters from the city center of Binche. The rooms have a fireplace, living room and private bathroom with shower. Facilities offer garden and internet connection.

We recommend using Booking.com to book hotels at a good price, check more information here:

 

Booking.com

 

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