Editing Culture of Belgium

{{Short description|none}} <!-- "none" is a legitimate description when the title is already adequate; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->
{{Use British English|date=May 2022}}
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[[File:18th International Folklore Festival 2012, Plovdiv (Bulgaria) - Belgian folklore ensemble De Boezeroenen, Kuringen 15.jpg|thumb|Belgian [[folk dance]] group at the International Folklore Festival in [[Plovdiv]], Bulgaria]]
[[File:Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal (Antwerp) Kreuzwegbilder.jpg|thumb|[[Stations of the Cross]] within the [[Cathedral of Our Lady (Antwerp)|Cathedral of Our Lady]] in [[Antwerp]]]]
{{Culture of Belgium}}
The '''culture of Belgium''' involves both the aspects shared by all Belgians regardless of the language they speak and the differences between the main cultural communities: the [[Flemish Community|Dutch-speaking Belgians]] (mostly [[Flemish people|Flemish]]) and the [[French-Speaking Community of Belgium|French-speaking Belgians]] (mostly [[Walloons]] and [[Brussels|Brusselian]]s). Most Belgians view their culture as an integral part of [[Culture of Europe|European culture]].

The territory corresponding to present-day Belgium having always been located at the meeting point of [[Germanic languages|Germanic]] and [[Romance languages|Latin]] Europe, it benefited from a rich cross-fertilization of cultures for centuries. Due to its strategic position in the heart of Europe, Belgium has been at the origin of many European artistic and cultural movements.

Famous elements of Belgian culture include gastronomy ([[Belgian beers]], [[fries]], [[chocolate]], [[waffles]], etc.), the [[Belgian comics|comic strip tradition]] (''[[The Adventures of Tintin|Tintin]]'', ''[[The Smurfs]]'', ''[[Spirou & Fantasio]]'', ''[[Marsupilami]]'', ''[[Lucky Luke]]'', etc.), [[List of Belgian painters|painting]] and [[Architecture of Belgium|architecture]] ([[Mosan art]], [[Early Netherlandish painting]], the [[Flemish Renaissance]], [[Baroque painting]] and [[Art Nouveau]], as well as major examples of [[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque]], [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]], [[Renaissance architecture|Renaissance]] and [[Baroque architecture]]), [[Folklore of Belgium|folklore]], and [[surrealism]].

Since modern culture is more than ever related to languages (theatre, media, literature, etc), modern Belgian cultural life has tended to develop in each linguistic community (with common elements however). Members of each of the two main linguistic groups generally make their cultural choices from within their own language community, and then, when going beyond, the Flemish draw intensively from both English-speaking culture (which dominates sciences, professional life and most news media) and the [[Culture of the Netherlands|Netherlands]], whereas French-speakers tend to focus more on cultural life in [[Culture of France|France]] and elsewhere in the [[Francophone|French-speaking world]].

Minorities, such as the [[History of the Jews in Belgium|Jew]]s who have formed a component of Belgian culture — in particular that of [[Antwerp]] — for over five hundred years, have some specific cultural aspects.

==Art==
{{Main|Art in Belgium}}

===Painting===
{{See also|List of Belgian painters}}
[[File:Lamgods open.jpg|thumb|left|''The [[Ghent Altarpiece]]: The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb'' (interior view), painted 1432 by [[Jan van Eyck|van Eyck]]]]

Belgium's contributions to painting have been especially rich. [[Mosan art]], [[Early Netherlandish painting]],<ref name="Nv4HY">{{cite web|title=Low Countries, 1000–1400&nbsp;AD |work=Timeline of Art History |publisher=[[Metropolitan Museum of Art]] |year=2007 |url=http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/07/euwl/ht07euwl.htm |access-date=10 May 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070415094905/http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/07/euwl/ht07euwl.htm |archive-date=15 April 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref> the [[Dutch and Flemish Renaissance painting|Flemish Renaissance]], and [[Flemish Baroque painting|Baroque painting]]<ref name="HFu1w">{{cite web|title=Low Countries, 1400–1600&nbsp;AD |work=Timeline of Art History |publisher=Metropolitan Museum of Art |year=2007 |url=http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/08/euwl/ht08euwl.htm |access-date=10 May 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070429051506/http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/08/euwl/ht08euwl.htm |archive-date=29 April 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref> are milestones in the history of art. While 15th-century art in the [[Low Countries]] is dominated by the religious paintings of [[Jan van Eyck]] and [[Rogier van der Weyden]], the 16th century is characterised by a broader panel of styles such as [[Pieter Brueghel the Elder|Peter Brueghel]]'s landscape paintings and [[Lambert Lombard]]'s representation of the antique.<ref name="LjaN3">{{cite book|language=fr|first=Jacques|last=Hendrick|title=La peinture au pays de Liège|year=1987|location=Liège|publisher=Editions du Perron|isbn=978-2-87114-026-9|page=24}}</ref> Though the Baroque style of [[Peter Paul Rubens]] and [[Anthony van Dyck]] flourished in the early 17th century in the Southern Netherlands,<ref name="bGwvp">{{cite book|language=de|first=Herwig|last=Guratzsch|title=Die große Zeit der niederländische Malerei|year=1979|publisher=Verlag Herder|location=Freiburg im Beisgau|page=7}}</ref> it gradually declined thereafter.<ref name="I0Pep">{{cite web|title=Low Countries, 1600–1800&nbsp;AD |work=Timeline of Art History |publisher=Metropolitan Museum of Art |year=2007 |url=http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/09/euwl/ht09euwl.htm |access-date=10 May 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070513131424/http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/09/euwl/ht09euwl.htm |archive-date=13 May 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="9nPUy">{{cite web|title=Art History: Flemish School: (1600–1800)—Artists: (biography & artworks)|url=http://wwar.com/masters/movements/flemish_school.html|date=5 February 2006|publisher=World Wide Arts Resources|access-date=10 May 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20091013022635/http://wwar.com/masters/movements/flemish_school.html|archive-date=13 October 2009}}—A general presentation of the Flemish artistic movement with a list of its artists, linking to their biographies and artworks</ref>

During the 19th and 20th centuries, many original [[romanticism|romantic]], [[expressionism|expressionist]] and [[surrealism|surrealist]] Belgian painters emerged, including [[James Ensor]] and other artists belonging to the [[Les XX]] group, [[Constant Permeke]], [[Paul Delvaux]] and [[René Magritte]]. The avant-garde [[COBRA (avant-garde movement)|CoBrA movement]] appeared in the 1950s, while the sculptor [[Panamarenko]] remains a remarkable figure in contemporary art.<ref name="2jzAd">{{cite web|url=http://wwar.com/masters/nationalities/belgian.html|title=Belgian Artists: (biographies & artworks)|date=5 February 2006|publisher=World Wide Arts Resources|access-date=10 May 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20160515200408/http://wwar.com/masters/nationalities/belgian.html|archive-date=15 May 2016}}—List of Belgian painters, linking to their biographies and artworks</ref><ref name="1BIrR">{{cite web |author=Baudson, Michel |title=Panamarenko |publisher=Flammarion (Paris), quoted at presentation of the XXIII Bienal Internacional de São Paulo |url=http://www1.uol.com.br/bienal/23bienal/universa/iueopa.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070207233008/http://www1.uol.com.br/bienal/23bienal/universa/iueopa.htm |archive-date=7 February 2007 |access-date=10 May 2007 |year=1996 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Multidisciplinary artists [[Jan Fabre]], [[Wim Delvoye]] and the painter [[Luc Tuymans]] are other internationally renowned figures on the contemporary art scene.

===Comics===
{{Main|Belgian comics}}
[[File:Tintin and Snowy on the roof.jpg|thumb|[[Tintin (character)|Tintin]] and Snowy ([[Hergé]]), on the roof of the former headquarters of [[Le Lombard]] near [[Brussels-South railway station]]]]

Belgium has numerous well-known [[cartoonist]]s, such as [[Hergé]] (''[[The Adventures of Tintin]]''), [[Peyo]] (''[[The Smurfs]]''), [[Andre Franquin|Franquin]] (''[[Spirou et Fantasio]]'', ''[[Marsupilami]]'', ''[[Gaston Lagaffe|Gaston]]''), [[Willy Vandersteen]] (''[[Spike and Suzy]]''), [[Morris (comics)|Morris]] (''[[Lucky Luke]]''), [[Edgar Pierre Jacobs|Edgar P. Jacobs]] (''[[Blake and Mortimer]]''), [[Jef Nys]] (''[[Jommeke]]'') and [[Marc Sleen]] (''[[The Adventures of Nero|Nero]]'').<ref name="PtwmV">{{cite book|title=Comics in French: the European bande dessinée in context|author=Grove, Laurence|publisher=Berghahn Books|year=2010|isbn=978-1-84545-588-0}}</ref> More recently, [[Jean Van Hamme]] (''[[XIII (comic)|XIII]]'', ''[[Largo Winch]]'', ''[[Thorgal]]'', etc.), [[Raoul Cauvin]] (''[[Les Tuniques Bleues]]'', ''[[Agent 212]]''), [[François Schuiten]] and [[Benoît Peeters]] (''[[Les Cités Obscures]]'') are among the most read cartoonists.

Belgium is home to some of the most important European comics magazines and publishers, with [[Dupuis]] (''[[Spirou (magazine)|Spirou]]'' magazine), [[Le Lombard]] (''[[Tintin (magazine)|Tintin]]'' magazine) and [[Casterman]].

===Museums===
Some of the most impressive museums in Belgium are the [[Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium]] in [[Brussels]], which has a cinema, a concert hall and artworks of many periods, including a large [[René Magritte]] collection; the [[Royal Museum for Fine Arts, Antwerp|Royal Museum for Fine Arts]] in [[Antwerp]], which has an admirable collection of works by [[Peter Paul Rubens]]; the [[Groeningemuseum]] in [[Bruges]], with the [[Flemish Primitives]]; and the [[Museum aan de Stroom]] (MAS) in Antwerp, which is located on 't eilandje and is the biggest museum in Belgium.

Furthermore, the [[Plantin-Moretus Museum]] in Antwerp, a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]], is the complete factory of the largest 17th-century publishing house.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Plantin-Moretus House-Workshops-Museum Complex |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1185/ |access-date=2024-06-01 |website=whc.unesco.org |publisher=UNESCO World Heritage Centre}}</ref>

==Architecture==
<!-- This section is linked from the redirect "Architecture of Belgium"; if the section heading changes, please update the redirect accordingly. -->
[[File:Tassel House stairway.JPG|thumb|Interior of the [[Hôtel Tassel]] in Brussels, by [[Victor Horta]] (1892–93)]]

Examples of Belgian architecture include the [[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque]] [[Collegiate Church of Saint Gertrude, Nivelles|Collegiate Church of St. Gertrude]] in [[Nivelles]] (1046) and the [[Tournai Cathedral|Cathedral of Our Lady]] in [[Tournai]], the [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] 15th-century [[Cathedral of Our Lady (Antwerp)|Cathedral of Our Lady]] in Antwerp and the [[Baroque]] [[Grand-Place|Grand-Place/Grote Markt]] (main square) in Brussels. [[Mosan style]] is typical of the architecture within the [[Prince-Bishopric of Liège]].

Belgian contributions to architecture also continued into the 19th and 20th centuries, including the work of [[Victor Horta]] and [[Henry van de Velde]], who were major initiators of the [[Art Nouveau]] style in Belgium and abroad.<ref name="ibivW">[http://www.senses-artnouveau.com/brussels.php Brussels, capital of Art Nouveau (page 1)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070509094014/http://www.senses-artnouveau.com/brussels.php |date=9 May 2007}}, {{cite web|title=(page 2)|year=2007|publisher=Senses Art Nouveau Shop, Brussels|url=http://www.senses-artnouveau.com/brussels.php?page=2|access-date=11 May 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070304211919/http://www.senses-artnouveau.com/brussels.php?page=2|archive-date=4 March 2007|url-status=live}} (for example)</ref><ref name="jIXeI">{{cite web|title=Major Town Houses of the Architect Victor Horta (Brussels)|work=[[UNESCO]]'s [[World Heritage List]]|publisher=UNESCO|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1005|quote=The appearance of Art Nouveau in the closing years of the 19th century marked a decisive stage in the evolution of architecture, making possible subsequent developments, and the Town Houses of Victor Horta in Brussels bear exceptional witness to its radical new approach.|access-date=16 May 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130513225235/https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1005|archive-date=13 May 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Literature==
{{Main|Belgian literature}}

Belgium has produced several well-known [[Belgian literature|authors]], including the poets [[Emile Verhaeren]], [[Guido Gezelle]], [[Robert Goffin]], [[Paul van Ostaijen]], and [[Henri Michaux]], as well as the novelists [[Cyriel Buysse]], [[Hendrik Conscience]], [[Stijn Streuvels]], [[Charles de Coster]], [[Willem Elsschot]], [[Michel De Ghelderode|Michel de Ghelderode]], [[Georges Simenon]], [[Louis Paul Boon]], [[Suzanne Lilar]], [[Hugo Claus]], [[Pierre Mertens]], [[Ernest Claes]], and [[Amélie Nothomb]]. The poet and playwright [[Maurice Maeterlinck]] won the [[Nobel Prize in Literature]] in 1911.

Belgian literature was more cohesive in the past but is now divided based on linguistic lines. Until the mid-20th century, Belgian writers more often wrote in French even if they were Flemish, due both to the then-dominant position of that language in worldwide culture as well as within Belgium itself (e.g. Suzanne Lilar, Emile Verhaeren, and Maurice Maeterlinck). As the [[Flemish movement]] grew in importance, Dutch-penned authors became increasingly prominent in Flanders and even played an important role in the said movement (e.g. Hendrik Conscience). Important contemporary Flemish authors are [[Tom Lanoye]] or [[Dimitri Verhulst]].

Belgian francophone literature is sometimes difficult to distinguish from French literature as a whole, because several great French authors went to Belgium for refuge (e.g. [[Apollinaire]], [[Baudelaire]], [[Rimbaud]], [[Paul Verlaine|Verlaine]], and more recently [[Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt]]) and conversely, top French-speaking writers sometimes settle in Paris (e.g. Simenon and Amélie Nothomb). Belgian francophone literature is characterised by authors who achieved a nationwide success in Belgium while being little known in France, and shares traits that are perceived as typically Belgian: use of black humour, self-derision, surrealism and absurdism (in a similar vein as Belgian painters such as [[René Magritte]]), as well as references to Belgian history and society (such as Belgian royalty, language conflicts, former colony of the Congo, Belgian beers and gastronomy, and whatever is typically Belgian) and they are often active in Belgian medias as columnists or entertainers. Such authors include [[Thomas Gunzig]], [[Juan d'Oultremont]], and [[Jacques Mercier]].

There have also been writers in the [[Walloon language]], such as [[Nicolas Defrecheux]] and [[Edouard Remouchamps]].

==Cinema==
{{Main|Cinema of Belgium}}

[[Cinema of Belgium|Belgian cinema]] has brought a number of mainly Flemish novels to life on-screen. Notable examples include ''De Witte'' (1934, remake as ''De Witte van Sichem'', 1980); ''De man die zijn haar kort liet knippen'' (1965); ''Mira'' (1971); ''[[Malpertuis]]'' (1971); ''De loteling'' (1974); ''Dood van een non'' (1975); ''Pallieter'' (1976); ''De komst van Joachim Stiller'' (1976); ''[[De Leeuw van Vlaanderen (novel)|De Leeuw van Vlaanderen]]'' (1985); and ''[[Daens (film)|Daens]]'' (1992).

Belgian films have been awarded several times at the [[Cannes Film Festival]] and in other less-known festivals. They are generally made with a small budget, and are mostly funded by the regional governments (the [[Vlaams Audiovisueel Fonds]], and [[Wallimage]], among others) and private corporations by means of sponsorship and [[product placement]].

Famous Belgian directors include [[André Delvaux]], [[Stijn Coninx]], [[Luc Dardenne|Luc]] and [[Jean-Pierre Dardenne]]; well-known actors include [[Jean-Claude Van Damme]], [[Jan Decleir]] and [[Marie Gillain]]; and successful films include ''[[Bullhead (film)|Bullhead]], [[Man Bites Dog (film)|Man Bites Dog]]'' and ''[[The Alzheimer Affair]]''.<ref name="yH1O7">A review of the Belgian cinema till about 2000 can be found at{{cite web|title=History of Cinema in Belgium|work=Film Birth|year=2007|url=http://www.filmbirth.com/belgium.html|access-date=26 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110914135756/http://www.filmbirth.com/belgium.html|archive-date=14 September 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Music==
{{Main|Music of Belgium}}
[[File:TV-uitzending Domino Jacques Brel tijdens de opname in Amsterdam, Marcanti, Bestanddeelnr 914-8399.jpg|thumb|[[Jacques Brel]]]]

The [[vocal music]] of the [[Franco-Flemish School]] developed in the southern part of the Low Countries and was an important contribution to Renaissance culture.<ref name="Y5k58">{{cite encyclopedia|title=Western music, the Franco-Flemish school|quote=Most significant musically was the pervasive influence of musicians from the Low Countries, whose domination of the music scene during the last half of the 15th century is reflected in the period designations the Netherlands school and the Franco-Flemish school.|encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]|year=2007|url=http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-15698/Western-music|access-date=15 May 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061208084519/http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-15698/Western-music|archive-date=8 December 2006|url-status=live}}</ref> Many great medieval and Renaissance composers, such as [[Gilles Binchois]], [[Orlande de Lassus]], [[Guillaume Dufay]], [[Heinrich Isaac]], and [[Jacob Obrecht]] came from the area which is now Belgium.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, there was an emergence of major violinists, such as [[Henri Vieuxtemps]], [[Eugène Ysaÿe]] and [[Arthur Grumiaux]]. [[Adolphe Sax]], the inventor of the saxophone, was born in Belgium, and so were many important classical composers. One of the most famous is [[César Franck]], but [[Guillaume Lekeu]] and [[Wim Mertens]] are also noteworthy.

Contemporary [[popular music]] in Belgium is also of repute. Well-known singers include [[Lara Fabian]], [[Stromae]], [[Jacques Brel]], [[Angèle (singer)|Angèle]], [[Arno Hintjens|Arno]], [[Maurane]], [[Bobbejaan Schoepen]], [[Salvatore Adamo]], [[Philippe Lafontaine]] and [[Pierre Rapsat]]. Other popular Belgian pop acts include [[Axelle Red]], [[Vaya Con Dios (band)|Vaya Con Dios]], [[Kate Ryan]] and [[K3 (group)|K3]]. In rock/pop music, [[Telex (band)|Telex]], [[Front 242]], [[K's Choice]], [[Hooverphonic]], [[Zap Mama]], [[Soulwax]] and [[Deus (band)|dEUS]] are well known. In the heavy metal scene, bands like [[Machiavel (band)|Machiavel]], [[Channel Zero (band)|Channel Zero]] and [[Enthroned]] have a worldwide fan-base.<ref name="XSYvA">Two comprehensive discussions of rock and pop music in Belgium since the 1950s:<br />{{cite web |title=The Timeline—A brief history of Belgian Pop Music |date=March 2007 |work=The Belgian Pop & Rock Archives |publisher=Flanders Music Centre, Brussels |url=http://houbi.com/belpop/timeline.htm |access-date=7 June 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070712181502/http://houbi.com/belpop/timeline.htm |archive-date=12 July 2007 |url-status=live}}<br />{{cite web |title=Belgian Culture—Rock |year=2006 |publisher=Vanberg & DeWulf Importing |url=http://www.belgianexperts.com/rock.php |access-date=11 May 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070607110011/http://www.belgianexperts.com/rock.php |archive-date=7 June 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Belgium has a very active [[jazz]] scene that is achieving international recognition with bands like [[Aka Moon]], [[Maak's Spirit]] and [[Octurn]]. Harmonicist [[Toots Thielemans]], guitarist [[Philip Catherine]] and [[Django Reinhardt]] are probably the best known Belgian jazz musicians. Belgian [[Hip hop music|hip-hop]] started with the rise of [[Starflam]], [[CNN (crew)|CNN]] (a Brussels-based crew) and [['t Hof van Commerce]] in the mid-1990s. The country has also influenced electronic music with a.o. [[Front 242]], [[Praga Khan]] (also known as [[Lords of Acid]]) and [[2 Many DJ's]].

Belgium is also home to some very popular music festivals such as [[Tomorrowland festival|Tomorrowland]], [[Rock Werchter]] and [[Pukkelpop]].

==Fashion==
Belgium is also home to a number of successful fashion designers. For instance, in the 1980s, Antwerp's [[Koninklijke Academie voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen|Royal Academy of Fine Arts]] produced important fashion trendsetters, known as the [[Antwerp Six]].<ref name="4zq3x">{{cite web|title=Fashion and the 'Antwerp Six'|year=2004|url=http://fashionworlds.blogspot.com/2000_01_16_fashionworlds_archive.html|publisher=Fashion Worlds|place=Dorset, UK|access-date=13 May 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070419042245/http://fashionworlds.blogspot.com/2000_01_16_fashionworlds_archive.html|archive-date=19 April 2007|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Cuisine==
{{Main|Belgian cuisine}}
[[File:Moules Frites.jpg|thumb|''[[Moules-frites]]'' or ''mosselen met friet'' is a representative dish of Belgium.]]

Belgium is famous for [[beer]], [[chocolate]], [[waffle]]s and [[French fries]]. The national dishes are "[[Steak frites|steak and fries]]", and "[[moules-frites|mussels with fries]]".<ref name="7hiRd">{{cite web|url=http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/40035|access-date=12 August 2007|title=Steak-frites|publisher=Epicurious|date=20 August 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070808152457/http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/40035|archive-date=8 August 2007|url-status=live}} Republished from{{cite book|title=Everybody Eats Well in Belgium Cookbook|date=October 1996|author1=Van Waerebeek, Ruth|author2=Robbins, Maria|publisher=Workman Publishing|isbn=978-1-56305-411-2}}</ref><ref name="cwjud">{{cite web|title=Belgium|publisher=Global Gourmet|url=http://www.globalgourmet.com/destinations/belgium/backgrounder.html|access-date=12 August 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928001505/http://www.globalgourmet.com/destinations/belgium/backgrounder.html|archive-date=28 September 2007}} Republished from{{cite book|title=Everybody Eats Well in Belgium Cookbook|date=October 1996|author1=Van Waerebeek, Ruth|author2=Robbins, Maria|publisher=Workman Publishing|isbn=978-1-56305-411-2}}</ref><ref name="lkmNo">{{cite web |title=Mussels |year=2005 |work=Visit Belgium |publisher=Official Site of the Belgian Tourist Office in the Americas |url=http://www.visitbelgium.com/mussels.htm |access-date=12 August 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070210101230/http://www.visitbelgium.com/mussels.htm |archive-date=10 February 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref>{{efn-ua|Contrarily to what the text suggests, the season starts as early as July and lasts through April.}} Many highly ranked Belgian restaurants can be found in the most influential restaurant guides, such as the [[Michelin Guide]].<ref name="EWmqW">{{cite web|title=The Michelin stars 2007 in Belgium |publisher=Resto.be TM Dreaminvest |year=2007 |url=http://www2.resto.be/bib_new.cfm?langue=uk |access-date=15 May 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081009160257/http://www2.resto.be/bib_new.cfm?langue=uk |archive-date=9 October 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> One of the many beers with high prestige is the [[ale]] produced by the [[Trappists|Trappist]] [[monk]]s. Traditionally each abbey's beer is served in its own glass (the forms, heights and widths are different). Six of the eleven breweries sanctioned to brew [[Trappist beer]] are Belgian.

Although Belgian gastronomy is connected to French cuisine, some [[recipe]]s were reputedly invented there, such as French fries (despite the name, although their exact place of origin is uncertain), [[Flemish Stew]] (a beef stew with beer, mustard and [[bay laurel]]), [[speculaas]] (or ''speculoos'' in French, a sort of cinnamon and ginger-flavoured [[shortcrust pastry|shortcrust]] [[biscuit]]), [[Brussels waffle]]s (and their variant, [[Liège waffle]]s), [[waterzooi]] (a broth made with chicken or fish, cream and vegetables), [[endive]] with [[bechamel]] sauce, [[Brussels sprout]]s, [[Belgian pralines]] (Belgium has some of the most renowned [[chocolate]] houses), ''charcuterie'' (deli meats) and ''[[Paling in 't groen]]'' (river [[eel]]s in a sauce of green herbs).

Brands of Belgian chocolate and pralines, like [[Côte d'Or (brand)|Côte d'Or]], [[Chocolatier Neuhaus|Neuhaus]], [[Leonidas (chocolate maker)|Leonidas]] and [[Godiva Chocolatier|Godiva]] are famous, as well as independent producers such as Burie and Del Rey in Antwerp and Mary's in Brussels.<ref name="6teth">{{cite book|title=Belgium and Luxembourg|author1=Elliott, Mark|author2=Cole, Geert|name-list-style=amp|publisher=Lonely Planet|year=2000|page=[https://archive.org/details/belgiumluxembour00loga/page/53 53]|isbn=978-1-86450-245-9|url=https://archive.org/details/belgiumluxembour00loga/page/53}}</ref> Belgium produces over [[Belgian beer|1100 varieties of beer]].<ref name="BierbijbelNieuwsblad">{{cite news|url=http://www.nieuwsblad.be/article/detail.aspx?articleid=G2I3H7IVR|title=Nieuwe bierbijbel bundelt alle 1.132 Belgische bieren|first=Chris|last=Snick|date=18 October 2011|language=nl|newspaper=Het Nieuwsblad|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120605055509/http://www.nieuwsblad.be/article/detail.aspx?articleid=G2I3H7IVR|archive-date=5 June 2012}}</ref><ref name="BierbijbelKW">{{cite news|url=http://kw.knack.be/west-vlaanderen/nieuws/algemeen/nieuwe-bierbijbel-met-1-132-belgische-bieren-voorgesteld-in-brugge/article-1195119387827.htm|title=Nieuwe bierbijbel met 1.132 Belgische bieren voorgesteld in Brugge|date=18 October 2011|language=nl|newspaper=Krant van West-Vlaanderen|access-date=17 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120531221549/http://kw.knack.be/west-vlaanderen/nieuws/algemeen/nieuwe-bierbijbel-met-1-132-belgische-bieren-voorgesteld-in-brugge/article-1195119387827.htm|archive-date=31 May 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> The Trappist beer of the [[Westvleteren Brewery|Abbey of Westvleteren]] has repeatedly been rated the world's best beer.<ref name="0BjgZ">{{cite news|last=Ames|first=Paul|title=Buying the World's Best Beer|url=http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/benelux/090828/st-sixtus-westvleteren-beer|access-date=19 November 2010|newspaper=Global Post|date=30 August 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101109221604/http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/benelux/090828/st-sixtus-westvleteren-beer|archive-date=9 November 2010|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="yTWd9">{{cite news|last=Guthrie|first=Tyler|title=Day trip to the best beer in the world|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2010/08/11/day-trip-to-the-best-beer-in-the-world/|access-date=19 November 2010|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=11 August 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101204040743/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-08-11/travel/sc-trav-0810-strip-belgian-bike-trip-20100810_1_westvleteren-beer-day-trip|archive-date=4 December 2010|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="IOJxz">{{cite news |title=Monks run short of 'world's best' beer |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200508/s1435915.htm |access-date=19 November 2010 |publisher=ABC |date=12 August 2005 |agency=Reuters |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090310004301/http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200508/s1435915.htm |archive-date=10 March 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
The biggest brewer in the world by volume is [[Anheuser-Busch InBev]], based in [[Leuven]].<ref name="EpBpi">{{cite press release|title=InBev dividend 2006: 0.72 euro per share—infobox: About InBev|quote=InBev is a publicly traded company ([[Euronext]]: INB) based in [[Leuven]], Belgium. The company's origins date back to 1366, and today it is the leading global brewer by volume.|date=24 April 2007|publisher=InBev|url=http://www.inbev.com/press_releases/20070424.1.e.cfm|access-date=31 May 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070911223542/http://www.inbev.com/press_releases/20070424.1.e.cfm|archive-date=11 September 2007}}</ref>

==Folklore==
{{Main|Folklore of Belgium}}
[[File:Binche - Les Gilles.jpg|thumb|The [[Gilles]] of [[Binche]], in costume, wearing wax masks]]

Folklore plays a major role in Belgium's cultural life; the country has a comparatively high number of processions, [[cavalcade]]s, parades, [[ommegang]]s, ducasses,{{efn-ua|The Dutch word ''ommegang'' is here used in the sense of an entirely or mainly non-religious procession, or the non-religious part thereof—see also [[:nl:Ommegang|its article on the Dutch-language Wikipedia]]; the Processional Giants of Brussels, Dendermonde and Mechelen mentioned in this paragraph are part of each city's ''ommegang''. The French word ''ducasse'' refers also to a procession; the mentioned Processional Giants of Ath and Mons are part of each city's ''ducasse''.}} [[kermesse (festival)|kermesse]]s, and other local festivals, nearly always with an originally religious or [[mythology of the Low Countries|mythological background]]. The three-day [[Carnival of Binche]], near [[Mons, Belgium|Mons]], with its famous [[Gilles]] (men dressed in high, plumed hats and bright costumes) is held just before [[Lent]] (the 40 days between [[Ash Wednesday]] and [[Easter]]). Together with the 'Processional Giants and Dragons' of [[Ath]], Brussels, [[Dendermonde]], [[Mechelen]] and [[Mons, Belgium|Mons]], it is recognised by [[UNESCO]] as a [[Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity]].<ref name="AyTJs">{{cite web|title=Processional Giants and Dragons in Belgium and France|publisher=[[UNESCO]]|url=http://www.unesco.org/culture/intangible-heritage/05eur_uk.htm|access-date=15 May 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070427153103/http://www.unesco.org/culture/intangible-heritage/05eur_uk.htm|archive-date=27 April 2007|url-status=live}}</ref>

Other examples are the three-day [[Carnival of Aalst]] in February or March; the still very religious processions of [[procession of the Holy Blood|the Holy Blood]] taking place in [[Bruges]] in May, the [[Virga Jesse Basilica|Virga Jesse procession]] held every seven years in [[Hasselt]], the [[Basilica of Our Lady of Hanswijk|annual procession of Hanswijk]] in Mechelen, the 15 August festivities in [[Liège]], and the Walloon festival in [[Namur]]. Originated in 1832 and revived in the 1960s, the [[Gentse Feesten]] (a music and theatre festival organised in Ghent around [[Belgian National Day]], on 21 July) have become a modern tradition. Several of these festivals include sporting competitions, such as [[cycle sport|cycling]], and many fall under the category of kermesses.

A major non-official holiday (which is however not an official public holiday) is [[Saint Nicholas Day]] (Dutch: ''[[Sinterklaas]]'', French: ''la Saint-Nicolas''), a festivity for children, and in Liège, for students.<ref name="X3HNa">{{cite web|title=Folklore estudiantin liégeois|publisher=[[University of Liège]]|url=http://www.ulg.ac.be/cms/c_36320/photographies-folklore-etudiant?hlText=Saint+Nicolas&hlMode=any&hlText=Saint+Nicolas&hlMode=any&hlText=Saint+Nicolas&hlMode=any|language=fr|access-date=17 June 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100620094647/http://www.ulg.ac.be/cms/c_36320/photographies-folklore-etudiant?hlText=Saint+Nicolas&hlMode=any&hlText=Saint+Nicolas&hlMode=any&hlText=Saint+Nicolas&hlMode=any|archive-date=20 June 2010}}</ref> It takes place each year on 6 December and is a sort of early [[Christmas]]. On the evening of 5 December, before going to bed, children put their shoes by the hearth with water or wine and a carrot for Saint Nicholas's horse or [[donkey]]. According to tradition, Saint Nicholas comes at night and travels down the chimney. He then takes the food and water or wine, leaves presents, goes back up, feeds his horse or donkey, and continues on his course. He also knows whether children have been good or bad. This holiday is especially loved by children in Belgium and the Netherlands. Dutch immigrants imported the tradition into the [[United States]], where Saint Nicholas is now known as [[Santa Claus]].

==See also==
* [[Europalia]]

==Notes==
{{notelist-ua}}

==References==
{{More citations needed|date=December 2008}}
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.belgium.be Belgium portal in Dutch, English, French, and German]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070515060034/http://www.diabolicdigest.net/Belgium/Culture.htm Exploring Belgium's cultural identity]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070515080054/http://www.diabolicdigest.net/Belgium/Etiquette.htm Grooming yourself for Belgian society]

{{Belgium topics}}
{{Culture of Europe}}

[[Category:Culture of Belgium| ]]