The Carnival of Binche (Le Carnaval de Binche)

The main character of the event is Gille, rounded neckless figure in a suit stuffed with straw who clatters, stomps and throws oranges. In his very original costume, he can’t leave town, kiss his wife, smoke and use a cell phone.

Binche is a small city, about 60 km from Brussels, mostly famous for its carnival. In 2003, UNESCO proclaimed this unique event one of theMasterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

It is unclear and there is no evidence where the oldest figure Gille came from. He is a rounded neckless figure in a suit stuffed with straw who clatters, stomps and throws oranges.

There is a widely spread legend created in the 19th century by journalist Adolphe Delmée. According to this, when in 1549 Queen Maria of Spain organized a welcoming ceremony in honor of Emperor Charles V and his son Philip II, some Incas in the exotic, colorful costumes and feathered headdresses appeared in the parade. The inhabitants of Binche liked them so much; that they decided to organize a similar procession in their town.

This ungrounded fact amazed many, because it added to their feast a historical aspect, however, the reality is different. The first written mention of carnival dates back to the 14th century, but it is possible that it is older and comes from pagan rituals and shamanism. It is not certain where a strange heritage has come from, but it has gradually turned into a celebration of the end of winter.

On Monday, nine days before Ash Wednesday, there is a so-called "Trouilles de Nouilles night”. It's a local game when groups in masks capture people without costumes, possibly the town celebrities and make fun of them.

Shrove Sunday marks the official beginning of the carnival and should be the most colorful - but it is not. I came to Binche in the morning and the streets were full of roving hordes of slightly masqueraded people. They have been drinking and many of them were already quite tipsy. As Belgians use to do, they peed everywhere, on the houses, fences or just freestyle.

They are proud of this disgusting habit, I heard that in many villages they have so-called "mur de pipi", a pee wall, so men do not have to relieve themselves in private booths!

I climbed the hill through the running ,,river” and only when I saw a group of guys’ backs, I realized I just passed across the urine brook! Foo! Why couldn’t they install in the center some portable toilets like in every civilized country?!

For lunch I had oysters and champagne, traditional food eaten during carnival and then I went to catch a good spot for the parade at 3 pm. I waited more than one hour and nothing happened; finally the cops told us it wouldn’t start before 6 pm. (So why did they write on the internet that it would start at 3 am?)

Walking around, I saw later a gathering of participants who were in costumes of their own choice, prepared in secret months before. To tell the truth, there was nothing so remarkable…

Shrove Monday is the most intimate day when families and friends meet for lunch. The young people meet too; they play music, visit the bars, cafés and restaurants and distribute oranges, symbolizing abundance. There is also a candy battle for children and evening fireworks.

However, the day when Binche is worth visiting is Tuesday before Ash Wednesday (Mardi Gras), when the carnival culminates.

For about a thousand Gilles (aged 3 to 60), preparations begin very early, before dawn. Their elaborate dressing rite, called "habillage" is a solemn, intimate ceremony, to which only the closest relatives and very special guests are invited. While Gill is drinking champagne and eating oysters, his wife (or another trained assistant) stuffs his suit with straw. She pushes handful after handful into the space between underwear T-shirt and the costume, until he becomes round and bloated neckless potbelly. Then she attaches the lace collar and hides all his hair under the cap as for a newborn baby, adjusts the ribbons and puts on him the heavy belt “apertintaille” with seven or nine copper bells. Then wooden clogs on the feet and ramon (tied bunches of twigs) to his hand and Gille is ready. He will spend almost 24 hours in these clothes

Every male of Binche dreams about the honor of becoming a Gille. He is allowed only if he is from the city or he has resided there for at least five years. The costume costs 1 000 - 2 500 euros, it is made by local craftsmen, but Gille does not own it, just rents it. The strict rule is that he can put on a jute brown tunic and trousers with red, yellow and black patterns (stars, lions and crowns) only on this special day and must not get out of the town with it. From this comes the saying “Gille never leaves”. He can’t even ride a car, kiss his wife, smoke, use a cell phone and he has to be always accompanied by a personal drummer.

During the parade on Tuesday afternoon, Gilles put on also almost three kilos weighing hats with huge ostrich feathers – but only if it does not rain, snow or blow.

When about 4 am the first Gille is ready, he and his drummer go to pick up another one according to the exact timetable. In his hand, he carries a ramon with which he gives the rhythm and ward off evil spirits.

They gather together and around 7am, all societies slowly move to the square Grand Place, constantly drumming. Here they put on a traditional, handmade wax mask with green glasses, a moustache and a tiny goatee and side-whiskers - in 1985, also this mask was registered to the European Patent office and can only be used in Binche. It represents Napoleon III and it is not worn in the afternoon.

Gilles turn into one big, anonymous mass, just imagine a thousand people with one face...

They enter the City hall, where some of them receive medals from the mayor for a long-term participation. Yet before that, they will form a circle together as a symbol of fraternity.

About midday, everyone goes to eat with his family or friends.

When I came to Binche, it was pouring like in Belgium pours 364 days a year (a carnival without rain would be a miracle), but I noticed the streets were full of life. Gilles, although on the way for lunch remained in the role. I met my first one nearby the station, in spite of heavy rain he performed a special short and quick steps, followed behind his back by a personal drummer and a few curious tourists. I joined them; we accompanied him to the restaurant. Returning to the center, I heard other drums and saw some brown-orange figures, Gilles were crossing the city back and forth.

The parade was to start at 3 pm, but people were waiting for it since 2 pm. I noticed that the shop windows were protected by the slabs, like prepared for a siege, and the windows and balconies on the main street were wrapped in wire mesh fences, behind which people looked like chickens in cages.

Then we finally heard the drums and in the distance, we saw the green caps of Harlequins.

The heroes of the day are Gilles, but there are other essential characters in the carnival (for unknown reasons inspired by the Commedia dell' arte) and a Paysan, Peasant. They can be either girls or boys.

Harlequins wore a shirt and pants printed with yellow, red and green triangles, a black belt and a green hat, ended by a grey fur tail. Pierrots shone with pastel colors - yellow, pink, green and pale blue. They had a conical hat, decorated with lace and a mask depicting a black wolf. The Peasant were in a sober dark blue smock and white trousers, their heads covered with a hat embellished with two white ostrich feathers and long white ribbons.

All children carried a basket of oranges that they were throwing or distributing according to their motor skills. Like a little girl, who toddled to me on wobbly legs, made big eyes at me and stretched out her hand with a fruit. Definitely, it was more pleasant than being hit by a citrus between the eyes :).

Then, the river of Gilles appeared on the avenue Charles Deliège. First, the little ones, then the bigger and finally the grown-ups. All with the baskets. Their arrival was accompanied not only by a drumbeat, but also by ringing bells and regular, rhythmic clickety-clack as the wooden clogs beat against the cobblestones. This ritual carnival "dance" should chase away evil spirits and awake the Earth after a long winter.

Actually, it is a special stepping in place (fittingly called Le pas de Gille), while they are slowly turning around to let the bells clang. They shuffle their feet as if they needed to pee or as if they wanted to warm up, and very quickly I began to shuffle too, because it was bloody cold.

Finally, I understood why the windows and shops were shielded; the oranges flew in the air like grenades, and in the past caused serious damages (and broken noses). Luckily, I had an umbrella; one orange ball landed there and almost broke it. Others I got tenderly from hand to hand and because refusing them would be a big insult, I put them in my coat pockets. I brought home at least two kilos!

Oranges are a symbol of spring (don’t ask me why they chose this fruit in cold, dark Belgium) and catching one brings luck for a year. Every Gille throws to the crowd about forty kilos. He carries them in the basket, which is regularly supplemented by his designated helper.

Suddenly a miracle happened, as if the rhythmical "Gille step" awakened the sun. For a few minutes, it glimpsed from behind the black clouds, and stroked the people with rays. Iconic carnival characters took advantage of the moment and put on their gorgeous ostrich feather hats, it looked as if the cotton wool balls floated above the parade. Snow white, with pinkish, purple or pale blue borders, the plumes dazzled in the sunlight... it was beautiful.

Clapping Gilles came to the Grand-Place and formed a huge dancing circle again while musicians played carnival songs. Then they went to freshen up before the evening procession. That one ended with fireworks at nine, but carnival societies did not rush home, they ate, drank and danced the whole night through...

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