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Processional Giant
Processional giants are costumed figures in European folklore, particularly present in Belgian, French, Portuguese, Spanish, and English folkloric processions. The main feature of these figures is typically their wooden, papier maché or -more recently- synthetic resin head, whilst bodies are covered in clothing matching the costume's theme. Since 2008, Belgian and French processional giants have been recognised as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, as part of the binational listing of 'Processional giants and dragons in Belgium and France'. Background The processional giant is a gigantic costumed figure that represents a fictitious or real being. Inherited from medieval rites, tradition has it that it is carried, and that it dances in the streets during processions or festivals. Its physiognomy and size are variable, and its name-giving varies according to the regions; among the Flemings, it is known by the name of ''reus'' (plural: ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
La Mercè
La Mercè () is the annual festival () of the city of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain. It has been an official city holiday since 1871, when the local government first organized a program of special activities to observe the Roman Catholic feast day of Our Lady of Mercy (). Although the actual feast day is September 24, the festivities begin a few days beforehand. Some of the most important features of the festival were introduced in the year 1902, when parades included papier maché "giants" known as and a popular dance from Empordà that was becoming popular throughout Catalonia: the '' Sardana''. The holiday has enjoyed immense local popularity ever since. Among more recently introduced traditions are the annual Catalan Wine Fair, a special , a 10 km race and the pyro-musical, a display featuring synchronized fireworks, water fountains and music conducted at the base of the Montjuïc mountain. History The celebration of La Mercè has religious origins, honoring the V ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Literacy
Literacy is the ability to read and write, while illiteracy refers to an inability to read and write. Some researchers suggest that the study of "literacy" as a concept can be divided into two periods: the period before 1950, when literacy was understood solely as alphabetical literacy (word and letter recognition); and the period after 1950, when literacy slowly began to be considered as a wider concept and process, including the social and cultural aspects of reading, writing, and functional literacy. Definition The range of definitions of literacy used by Non-governmental organization, NGOs, think tanks, and advocacy groups since the 1990s suggests that this shift in understanding from "discrete skill" to "social practice" is both ongoing and uneven. Some definitions remain fairly closely aligned with the traditional "ability to read and write" connotation, whereas others take a broader view: * The 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (USA) included "quantitativ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tournai
Tournai ( , ; ; ; , sometimes Anglicisation (linguistics), anglicised in older sources as "Tournay") is a city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia located in the Hainaut Province, Province of Hainaut, Belgium. It lies by road southwest of the centre of Brussels on the river Scheldt, and is part of Eurometropolis Lille–Kortrijk–Tournai, In 2022, the municipality of Tournai had an estimated population of 68,518 people. Tournai is one of the oldest cities in Belgium and has played an important role in the country's cultural history. It was the first capital of the Francia, Frankish Empire, with Clovis I being born here. Geography Tournai lies by road southwest of the centre of Brussels on the river Scheldt. Administratively, the town and municipality is part of the Hainaut Province, Province of Hainaut, in the Wallonia region of southwest Belgium. The municipality has an area of . Tournai has its own Arrondissements of Belgium, arrondissements, both ad ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Borgerhout
Borgerhout () is the smallest districts of Antwerp, district of Antwerp, Belgium. , the district housed 45,769 inhabitants on 3.93 km². It was an independent municipality until January 1983. The postal area code for Borgerhout is 2140. Geography Borgerhout is divided into two parts by a highway and the historical walls. The part inside those walls is "intra muros," meaning (within the walls). It is built around a big boulevard, the Turnhoutsebaan Demographics Borgerhout has an extremely diverse population, with 63% of inhabitants having non-Belgian ancestry, mostly Moroccans and sub-Saharan Africans. Of the nine districts of Antwerp, it has the highest population density. History Borgerhout was first mentioned in the year 1214 in an act written by the Duke of Brabant. It was then named 'Borgerholt'. Etymology "Borger" likely comes from the old word for citizen or city dweller. Currently, the Dutch word for this is "burger". It might also refer to the word "borgh", meani ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ros Beiaard Dendermonde
The Ros Beiaard of Dendermonde, Belgium, is a large folklore, folkloristic horse and the main character in the Ommegang van Dendermonde, a traditional folk festival held in that city. It is used only once every ten years and it is carried by members of a local guild, the ''Pijnders''. Traditionally, four young brothers from Dendermonde ("de The Four Sons of Aymon, Vier Heemskinderen"; the Four Sons of Aymon) ride the horse in full armour. Since 2008, the Ros Beiaard and the accompanying procession is recognised as a Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, as part of the bi-national inscription "Processional giants and dragons in Belgium and France". The legend of Ros Beiaard * See: Bayard (legend), Ros Beiaard 't Peird van Dendermonde The Ros Beiaard of Dendermonde is carried through the town every ten years by a guild of bearers, called the ''Pijnders''. In keeping with the legend, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Meyboom
The Meyboom (French language, French, former Dutch language, Dutch spelling) or Meiboom (modern Dutch) plantation is the oldest tradition in Brussels, Belgium, attested since 1308. It is held every year on 9 August, the eve of Saint Lawrence, St Lawrence's Day, and consists mainly in the planting of a beech at the intersection of the / and the / in the City of Brussels' Marais–Jacqmain district. The event has several phases, with some parts of the ceremony being open to the public, and others reserved for tradition bearers. It is organised by the ''Companions of St Lawrence'', a city association, and is accompanied by processions and various folk activities during the day. The celebration is reminiscent of Brussels' long-standing (folkloric) feud with Leuven, which dates back to the Middle Ages. Following a friendly incident in 1974 in which the Meyboom was stolen and taken to Leuven, both cities have claimed to be planting the "real" Meyboom. Since 2008, the Meyboom is reco ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ducasse De Mons
The Ducasse de Mons, also commonly known as the Doudou, is a traditional folk festival held in Mons, Belgium, Mons, Hainaut Province, Hainaut, Belgium, on Trinity Sunday (57 days after Easter). The feast comprises two important parts: the procession, including taking Waltrude, Saint Waltrude's shrine down from its altar and placing it on a dray, as well as the combat named ''Lumeçon'' between Saint George and a dragon. Since 2008, it is recognised as a Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. History The Ducasse de Mons or Doudou originates in the Middle Ages. Its origins are difficult to pin down exactly. It has been attested since the 13th century (the first known mention dates from 1248). It is a procession or ''ducasse'' with act of "circumambulation" around a religious symbol (e.g. a statue of the city's patron saint), in Latin language, Latin or , which can be found in many relig ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ducasse D'Ath
The Ducasse d'Ath is a traditional folk festival held in Ath, Hainaut, Belgium, to mark the victory of David over Goliath. The parade is held annually on the fourth Sunday of August and is characterised by the presence of processional giants depicting the horse Bayard and several other characters from local history. From 2008 to 2022, it was recognised as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. History The city of Ath was founded in 1140 by Baldwin IV, Count of Hainaut, by buying territory from his liegeman, Gilles de Trazegnies. The city experienced considerable expansion in the 14th century, with a church dedicated to Saint Julian of Brioude coming up outside the enclosure of the walled city. The procession used to begin at the church and proceed to the new town. It is a procession or ''ducasse'' with act of "circumambulation" around a religious symbol (e.g. a statue of the city's patron saint), in Latin or , which can be found in many r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nieuwpoort, Belgium
Nieuwpoort ( , ; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities of Belgium, municipality located in Flemish Region, Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium, in the province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the town of Nieuwpoort proper, as well as Ramskapelle (Nieuwpoort), Ramskapelle and Sint-Joris, Nieuwpoort, Sint-Joris. On 1 January 2008, Nieuwpoort had a total population of 11,062. Its land area is 31.00 km² which gives a population density of 350 inhabitants per km². The current mayor of Nieuwpoort is Geert Vanden Broucke (Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams, CD&V) In Nieuwpoort, the Yser flows into the North Sea. It was also the home of a statue created by Jan Fabre called ''Searching for Utopia''. The Stadshalle Grain Hall (market hall) with its belfry was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999 as part of the Belfries of Belgium and France site, owing to its historical civic (not religious) importance and its architecture. His ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nivelles
Nivelles (; ; ) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. The Nivelles municipality includes the former municipalities of Baulers, Bornival, Thines, and Monstreux. The Nivelles arrondissement includes all the municipalities in Walloon Brabant. The Collegiate Church of St. Gertrude has been classified as a heritage site of Wallonia. History The rise of Nivelles Starting in 4,000 BC, the Nivelles region was gradually turned into agricultural land by the Danubian settlers. Most of their ancestral Rubanean civilization was destroyed by the Roman invaders during the first century AD. In turn, most of the Roman constructions, including villas, were destroyed during the Germanic invasions of the 3rd century. In the 7th century, the territory was part of the Austrasian Frankish kingdom, and the Mayor of the Palace, Pippin of Landen, rebuilt a villa there that covered more than 78 km². After Pippin's death in 640, the bi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Goliath
Goliath ( ) was a Philistines, Philistine giant in the Book of Samuel. Descriptions of Goliath's giant, immense stature vary among biblical sources, with texts describing him as either or tall. According to the text, Goliath issued a challenge to the Israelites, daring them to send forth a champion to engage him in single combat; he was ultimately defeated by the young shepherd David, employing a Sling (weapon)#Biblical accounts, sling and stone as a weapon. The narrative signified Saul, King Saul's unfitness to rule, as Saul himself should have fought for the Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy), Kingdom of Israel. Some modern scholars believe that the original slayer of Goliath may have been Elhanan, son of Jair, who features in 2 Samuel 21:19, in which Elhanan kills Goliath the Gittite, and that the authors of the Deuteronomist#Deuteronomistic history, Deuteronomistic history changed the original text to credit the victory to the more famous figure David. The phrase "#Mod ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jesus Christ
Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Christianity, central figure of Christianity, the Major religious groups, world's largest religion. Most Christians consider Jesus to be the Incarnation (Christianity), incarnation of God the Son and awaited Messiah#Christianity, messiah, or Christ (title), Christ, a descendant from the Davidic line that is prophesied in the Old Testament. Virtually all modern scholars of classical antiquity, antiquity agree that Historicity of Jesus, Jesus existed historically. Accounts of Life of Jesus, Jesus's life are contained in the Gospels, especially the four canonical Gospels in the New Testament. Since the Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment, Quest for the historical Jesus, academic research has yielded various views on the historical reliability of t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
