How to celebrate the New Year in Belgium traditions. New Year and Christmas in Belgium

The principle of New Year's holidays all over the world is the same - to spend the old year beautifully and joyfully welcome the new one. Customs and traditions are different everywhere, but the essence is simple, have a lot of fun and spend time with loved ones and friends. Like all European countries, Belgium celebrates the New Year in its own way, and it's quite interesting.

For example, they have a tradition of choosing the bean king. However, this is not an elected position; such a high title will be awarded to the one who finds the baked bean grain in the pie. The king's power lasts only two days, but he has the opportunity to choose his retinue - nobles, the queen, even a jester and a butler.

Children also take an active part in New Year's celebrations in Belgium. Traditionally, they save money to buy jewelry. They decorate their homes with them, write congratulations with good wishes to elders, especially parents, and read them when the clock strikes midnight. Letters and cards are decorated with flowers, ribbons and shown to guests.

On this day, everyone tries to behave cheerfully and carefree, dress beautifully and say only pleasant things, because the Belgians are sure that how you celebrate the first day of the coming year is how you will spend it. Well, almost like ours. Therefore, the table must be full of food so that the family can live in abundance for the whole year.

Christmas in Belgium also has its own characteristics, for them this is a serious holiday and they prepare for it accordingly. The Belgians believe in the magical power of Christmas night, when all wishes come true.

In Belgium there are two figures of Father Christmas - St. Niklas and Père Noel.
Saint Nicholas visits those who speak the Walloon language, in fact he comes twice. For the first time on December 4, to find out which children were good and which behaved badly. If the child behaved well, he returns on December 6 with gifts, while bad children get twigs. Gifts, of course, candies and toys, and for the naughty ones, twigs inside shoes or in small baskets on the doors.
Pere Noel visits those who speak French. He walks with his companion Pere Fouettard and asks about how the children behaved. And then according to the same scheme - good candy, bad - a few sticks.

On the feast of St. Nicholas, the whole family attends church, after which a quiet family celebration is organized, for which special cakes are baked.
And finally, Christmas, December 25, the birthday of Jesus Christ. In recent years, American traditions have migrated here through movies and books. Children began to put gifts under the Christmas tree. But in Belgium these are the responsibilities of parents, not Santa. Gifts are opened the evening before Christmas, after Christmas dinner, or midnight mass, or on Christmas morning.

When choosing Belgium for a Christmas trip, first of all, you should pay attention to two cities: Brussels and Bruges. The first is the capital, a busy business and tourist center, the face of Europe. Bruges, cozy and unique, is her soul.

The many faces of Brussels

The capital of Belgium may turn out to be the most controversial city a tourist will visit. At first glance, it seems that there is no place for warmth and friendly meetings in Brussels. People are rushing about their business, and the austere buildings, as if drawn to a straight line, look at you with an unfriendly gaze.

But take a closer look, and Brussels will open up on the other side - it will entice you with the aroma of Belgian waffles and chocolate and invite you to one of its Christmas markets, where there are always a lot of people and bustle reigns.

The center of Brussels can be divided into two parts: administrative, with the Royal Palace, Parliament and the Palace of Justice, and tourist. Here, in the narrow streets, most of the shops and restaurants are located, and the chic Grand Place is home to the city's most beautiful buildings. This part is called the “lower city”, and the pompous “upper”, administrative one seems to look down on it.

In the 13th century, there were shopping arcades on the Grand Place, tournaments and festivals were held. The tallest building on the square is the Hôtel de Ville town hall with a 96-meter tower. The town hall on the main square of the city looks like a castle from a Disney cartoon. On the eve of Christmas, the square is painted with even brighter colors. A lush Christmas tree is installed on it, decorated with many garlands and an exhibition of works on the theme of the Nativity is held.

If you go deeper into one of the streets leading from the square, you can see an interesting and fun landmark of Brussels - the peeing boy. It is he who is depicted on most postcards. The boy is dressed up from season to season; he even has special outfits for the holidays. All of them are kept in the Historical Museum, on the Grand Place.

But few people know that a couple of streets away from the boy, there is the same girl! And next to it there are bars that serve the best beer in the city. Fans will have plenty to choose from; the bar menu includes 2,000 types of beer and is included in the Guinness Book of Records.

The gastronomic pride of Brussels is mussels. The Chez Leon chain, known throughout the country, delights tourists with the variety of preparations for this dish: mussels baked in a pot or in a frying pan, with celery, cheese or hot pepper. On weekends, any visitor can ask for a pot of mussels to be repeated ad infinitum.

When it comes to sweets, chocolate boutiques are located everywhere and are hard to miss. It is best to buy tiles marked “handmade”. And Belgian waffles are sold right on the street, and tourists with a camera in one hand and a waffle in the other are by no means uncommon.

Lay low in Bruges

Traveling around little Belgium is very convenient. You can buy a ticket for a high-speed train or a regular train and send it to a neighboring city for a day. Bruges is located 97 km from Brussels and can be reached in just an hour.

The city of Bruges is very different from the capital. It is small, quiet and cozy. Winding streets, canals, small squares and houses - all this makes Bruges look like a toy.

Each courtyard hides its own history, because most of the buildings have retained their original appearance since the Middle Ages.

When in Bruges, don't miss the opportunity to try the best beer in the world - Trappist. It is produced by Belgian monks and supplied to the oldest bars in the city in limited quantities.

Several attractions in Bruges deserve special attention. One of them is a quadrangular market on a large area. The best Christmas market and ice skating rink are also located there. A line of so-called “gingerbread” houses stretch along the square - these colorful buildings, which are often depicted on postcards and magnets, are a symbol of the city.

Due to the large number of canals, Bruges resembles Venice. To explore the city, it is better to abandon the car and use other means of transport - take a boat ride along the canals, rent a bicycle or hire a carriage.

Long before they themselves arrived Christmas holidays Belgians are starting to think about Christmas, wait for him, the kids are writing letters Saint Nicholas asking him to bring the desired gift, promising in return not to be naughty and to obey his parents in everything. And parents begin to look for gifts for their children, relatives, friends, and acquaintances.

In the days before Christmas, from the first days of December, St Nicholas appears everywhere. Usually this is a stately old man with a gray beard, dressed in a red cassock, a white bishop's robe on his shoulders, a high red miter on his head, and a golden staff in his hands.

He is accompanied by Black Peter(Moorish servant), dressed in a velvet doublet and short trousers, on his head is a hat with a feather. Behind the back Black Peter- a bag of gifts, in hands - rods for naughty children.

St Nicholas rides on a white horse, and in the southern regions Belgium- on a donkey.
According to legend, December 4 Saint Nicholas observes the behavior of children, and on December 6 returns with gifts. Good children receive toys and sweets, while bad children may find twigs in their shoes or small baskets in the morning.

Children who speak French attend Pere Noel And Per Fuetter. They bring candy to obedient children, and leave a handful of twigs for the bad ones.

In some small villages children are given gifts three kings, personifying the three wise men. To do this, they choose three local residents who go from house to house singing and congratulate the owners, which especially pleases the children.

In homes, it is customary to display figurines in a place of honor. Virgin Mary, Joseph, baby and the wise men. Some families have preserved ancient figurines that are passed down from generation to generation.

Played out in many areas Christmas shows. This tradition dates back to the 16th century, so the performers are usually dressed in costumes from that time.

Originally noted Christmas residents province of Namur: They spend a festive night at the gaming table. In every cafe, snack bar or village restaurant they play a card game reminiscent of the Russian "fool". The winner receives a Kerstbroden - a large bun in the shape of an angel or little Jesus, covered with icing and powdered sugar, or a 30 cm long chocolate log.

Almost all meat dishes Christmas table are prepared from pork(the pig was always credited with special fertility), and in the Middle Ages there was a custom of serving a roasted pig's head for Christmas.

Belgians bake for sweets ritual cookies, the so-called Christmas wreath is especially common - shortbread cookies with almond filling, sprinkled with almonds and decorated with candied fruits, shaped like a ring. It is served at Christmas for breakfast and evening tea.

Each region prepares its own traditional dishes, in Flanders, for example, rice, fried meat and pudding.

After the festive feast, the Belgians go ice skating. All family members participate in this entertainment - both grandparents and their little grandchildren who have barely learned to walk.

So maybe wave to us for the coming Christmas holidays in Belgium, because I really want to return to childhood, to a fairy tale, at least for a while, and Belgium perfect for this.

At Christmas, medieval Bruges shines with lights, the magnificent Grand Place in Brussels is in a festive bustle, these are the “Winter Wonders” in Brussels: 2.5 km of Christmas attractions and a grandiose light show, and on Place Sablon antique dealers take out old Christmas tree decorations from their bins. From November 24 to December 31, Brussels hosts the traditional Winter Wonderland holidays!

For five whole weeks, the heart of Brussels turns into a huge Christmas market, stage for performances and stage for light shows at the same time. The Christmas market, which is recognized as the most original in Europe, stretches for two and a half kilometers, interspersed with a variety of attractions, cafes and terraces. In the center of the Grand Place reigns the beautiful Walloon fir tree, 22 m high.

Around the Exchange building there is a whole town for gourmets, offering gastronomic pleasures for every taste: from foie gras and traditional sausages to sweets and mulled wine. You can try all this right in the fresh air, at special bar counters. After the tastings, it's time to go to the skating rink on the square in front of the Opera House, which can accommodate up to 300 people at a time, as well as slide down an ice slide or ride on a baroque carousel on the back of some fantastic creature. An ice monster awaits horror movie lovers - a 45 m long dinosaur. An unforgettable panoramic view of the festive illuminations will open from the brightly lit Ferris wheel.

In St. Catherine's Square, visit the stands of this year's Winter Wonderland guests of honor, which are Mongolia and Albania, presenting their cultures, ancient craftsmanship, Balkan music and exotic cuisine. Let yourself be seduced by the fairytale atmosphere & enjoy the Brussels Christmas Market, one of the most magical events in Europe!

As in the Netherlands, children in Belgium believe that Sinterklaas (Flemish) or St. Nicholas (Wallonia) brings them gifts on December 6, St. Nicholas Day.Children place their boots in front of the fireplace and leave drawings, cookies and other treats for Sinterklaas, as well as leaving treats for Sinterklass's horse and something for Zwart Piet (Black Pete, Sinterklass's assistant). Then at night Sinterklaas goes down to the roof on his horse with the Zwart Piet. Zwart Piet goes down the chimney and leaves gifts in his shoes. Sinterklaas has a book in which he keeps the names of all the children and knows whether they behaved well or not. The children are told that if they behave badly, Zwarte Piet will put them in his sack and take them to Spain! Traditional treats left for Sinterklaas include tangerines, gingerbread, chocolate and "mochi" (cookies shaped like letters).

Belgium has three official languages: Dutch (the Belgian version of Dutch is known as Flemish, spoken in the northern part of Belgium called Flanders), French (spoken in the southern Wallonia region), and German by the 1% of Belgium in the east of the country).

In Belgium they say: "Merry Christmas" in Dutch (Flemish) - "Vrolijk Kerstfeest", in French - this is "Joyeux noel", in German - this is "Frohe Weihnachten" and in the Walloon language - "djoyeus Noyé". This is how they wish Merry Christmas in Belgium in many languages.

On Christmas Eve (Kerstavond in Flemish and Noel in Wallonia), most families have a festive dinner. It starts with an aperitif and light appetizers, followed by seafood dishes and then a stuffed turkey. The dessert is "Kerststronk" (Flemish) or "la bûche de Noël" (Walloon) - a chocolate Christmas log made from a sponge cake rolled up with cream. The outside is covered in chocolate buttercream and shaped like a log.

Some people celebrate Advent and wear Viennese wreaths made from spruce or Leyland greenery. The wreaths contain four candles, and each candle is lit each new week, counting down to Christmas.

In the week before Christmas, people also like to go to the Christmas markets. You can even see Santa Claus at the market! People go out to buy Christmas gifts, decorations and food. You can also drink jenever (gin) or Glühwein (hot wine) and eat Smoutebollen/oliebollen (well-fried sweet dumplings), which are also very popular. Ice skating with friends is also very common.

At Christmas parties in schools, it is common to exchange small gifts. Gift drawings are held in the form of various games,

Most people will have a Christmas tree (real or artificial) decorated with lights, baubles, garlands and a star on top.

In most villages, near the church, Christmas scenes with real animals (donkeys, sheep, bulls) and choral music accompanying the performances are continuously shown. Some people also decorate their homes with lights and reindeer, or a figurine of Santa climbing onto the roof.

Small family Christmas gifts are also given at Christmas, they are placed under the tree. They open on Christmas Eve. People also like to listen to Christmas music on the radio. Some people also go to midnight church mass.

A traditional Christmas breakfast is the same as a regular Sunday breakfast throughout the year. These are freshly baked crispy rolls (which are sold on Sundays in Flanders by the best bakeries ) with butter, cold meat or jam, and then baked goods (called Danish pastries) called "koffiekoek" as they are usually eaten with a cup of coffee!. In the Walloon regionsfor Christmas breakfast(in the south of Belgium) they bake a special sweet bread called “cougnou” or “cougnolle”, which in its shape symbolizes the baby Jesus.

At Christmas every day people visit friends or distant relatives.

On holidaystraditionally shown on TV T Films such as Home Alone and Walt Disney films still very often show the Phantom of the Opera.

New Year and Christmas are very important holidays in Belgium. Mostly people spend the holiday dinner with the whole family together. At midnight, people celebrate the New Year by kissing three times and exchanging wishes for the next year. Fireworks are an integral part of the holiday. Some people throw parties that last until the early hours!

On New Year's Day, people often visit friends and family. Children read the “New Year's letters” they wrote to their mothers and godparents. Letters are written at school in beautiful handwriting and inserted into traditionally beautiful homemade envelopes.

On January 6, people celebrate Epiphany and the coming of the Magi. Children dress up as wise men and go from door to door, singing songs and reading poems, and people give them money or sweets.

There is also a tradition where people make bread called"Three Wise Men" , which is decorated with a gold paper crown on top. And it will be hidden in the bread"fève" (bean), now it is often a small plastic figurine. Whoever finds the fève will be the king or queen and wear the crown for the day!

When Christmas comes, the whole of Belgium is filled with lights, Christmas candies, chocolate figures in the shape of St. Nicholas and even Christmas beer (Noel bush).

One of the most traditional customs in most cities is the Christmas markets. In these markets you can find sweets, national Belgian dishes, and food from many other countries. Of course, waffles and Christmas tree decorations are an integral part of market goods. The most popular product in these markets is hot mulled wine, which is very warming during a walk in the cold.

Christmas markets compete in squares across the country. Both adults and children spend the days before Christmas at these markets, buying Christmas decorations, all kinds of food and other Christmas goods.

On Christmas Eve, the Belgians have a Christmas dinner that includes a stuffed turkey and a special dessert called “la bûche de Noël,” which is a cake filled with cream.
Although Saint Nicholas already brought gifts on December 5, families also exchange gifts on Christmas Day. These gifts appear under a tree or in stockings hanging near the fireplace, after a dinner in which the main course is a sweet bread called "cougnolle", which is shaped like the baby Jesus.
On Christmas Day, after family dinner, it is customary to go ice skating. Adults and children take out their skates and, if the cold allows, they skate, gliding along the frozen waters of the river as if on a skating rink.

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