This document summarizes several festivals celebrated in Belgium and the surrounding area. It describes the tradition of Saint Nicholas Day on December 6th, where children anticipate gifts from the bishop Saint Nicholas. It also discusses the Assumption of the Virgin Mary festival in Liège on August 15th, which features outdoor masses and parades of giant figures. Finally, it outlines the Carnival of Stavelot near Liège, where costumed "Blanc Moussi" characters parade and play jokes on people.
4. Our Saint Nicolas was originally the
bishop of Myra in the 4th century
AD. It is said that he performed
miracles, inlcuding famously
bringing back to life 3 children who
had been cut in pieces and
preserved in salt by a nasty
butcher… Can you believe it!
5. So if you’ve been good this year…
Saint Nicolas will be good to you!
6. And to make sure that he comes…
Let’s sing the song!
Oh grand Saint-Nicolas
Patron des Ecoliers
Apporte-moi des pommes
Dans mes petits souliers
Je serai toujours sage
Comme un petit mouton
J’apprendrai mes leçons
Pour avoir des bonbons
Venez venez Saint-Nicolas
Venez venez Saint-Nicolas
Venez venez Saint-Nicolas et tra la la…
7. Now this second festival is typical
of our city of Liège…
On the 15th August we celebrate
the assomption of the Virgin Mary
in our traditional district of
Outremeuse, which becomes a
Free Republic during 3 days!
8. These are the most crazy days of they
year! Celebrations include:
-Procession of the Statue of a Black Virgin
Mary
- Mass celebrated outdoor
- Concerts
- Parade of Giant figures of our first
Prince-Bishop Notger, Emperor
Charlemagne and our typical Puppets
Tchantchès and Nanesse!
9.
10. And of course we never forget to
drink our traditional spirit, Peket,
natural our flavoured…
11. Close to Liège we also have many
carnivals, including the one in the city
of Stavelot, which is quite spectacular!
12. This character dressed in white with
a long red nose is a Blanc Moussi!
On the day of the Carnival (3rd
Sunday before Easter, this year 30th
March), the Blanc moussis parade
all around town playing jokes to
people, throwing confetti or water
balloons! They are funny
mischievous characters!
13. This tradition goes back to the Middle Ages,
when the city was ruled by the Abbot of
Stavelot. The abbot got very angry because
monks were taking part in the Carnival while
they were supposed to spend their life in
prayers! So he forbade the monks to go, but
to commemorate this the people of Stavelot
started to dress like monks, and added the
funny nose to show that monks really had a
great time at the Carnival…
