Yesterday, we opted for "Fat Sunday" instead of "Fat Tuesday" to see the famous Binche, Carnival near Brussels. There are dozens of great carnivals that surround us, some great (Venice, Cologne), some small.. but one of the most famous is the centuries old tradition in Binche. The most famous of days is Tuesday, where the Gilles (men in costume) dance around the city in their traditional dress and masks and throw oranges into the crowd! I've heard it gets a little crazy on Tuesday, and Sunday was still great to see some of the action. There are little bands of men, usually accompanied by a drum and/or a music box and always in some outragous costume. They don't break out the masks and plumes until Tuesday, so this is their chance to show off their individual groups.
We first walked up and bought little bouquets of mimosas that adorned everyone in attendance. Loved them!
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