I love Europe.
(warning - this is going to be a long entry!)
The Carnival Season goes way back in history.
Hundred and hundreds of years ago, the followers of the Catholic religion in Italy started the tradition of holding a wild costume festival right before the first day of Lent (fat tuesday or mardi-gras in French) . Because Catholics are not supposed to eat meat during Lent, they called their festival, carnevale - which means "to put away the meat". As time passed, carnivals in Italy became quite famous and the practice spread to France, Spain, and all the other Catholic countries in Europe (like Belgium). All the countries put their own little spin on the their tradition of celebrating carnival....
Many parts of Belgium celebrate Carnival, typically with costume parades, partying, fireworks, and beer drinking.
So, on Sunday (dimanche-gras) Margaret, my parents, and I went to a carnival in Malmedy - and hour south of Liege - to start the festivities. (Most of the carnivals start on Thursday and go until Tuesday at midnight.) It was not what I was expecting
at all! There were so many people packed into this small little town with small streets and old buildings... it was craz
y! We got their around noon and the parade was just about to start. It was beautiful with the sun shining and all the people so happy... a great "ambiance". When the parade started, Marge and I were literally in shock at all that was passing by. There were maybe 15 bands in this parade all decked out in intense costumes, 20 huge floats with themes for every one that passed by, and confetti everywhere! It was so pretty... all the colors :) It was a very interactive parade as well. In 
the states, you would never be touched at a parade - but in Europe it was almost mandatory for the people in masks to mess around with the crowd. It definitely made it so much more fun than just standing there and watching! Marge even got stole by one of the floats and came back with confetti all in her hair and black make-up on her cheeks! It was a Mary Poppins float and she "helped clean the chimney". I was worried at first when they took her away but then I couldn't stop laughing! I made a friend too who taught me the dance to his tropical themed float. There were these people dressed up as bakers (Boldji) in all white, a baker's hat, rosy cheeks, and with a wooden shovel called the "Panula". They would sometimes come around with the
ir children dressed the same (so cute) and they would come up behind you and pat your butt with their paddles! It was hilarious and Isabelle (my host mom) was very popular with them! There were these other people (Lu Long-Bresse) who were dressed up as clowns but with extra long hands and when they were walking in the parade they would come up to the crowd and mess up your hair with their long hands! Sometimes they would steal the hat of a random person in the crowd and then give it to another random person. So funny. They loved Marge and I, by the end of the day our hair was so crazy by the Lu Long-Bresse messing with us all day. There were these other people called Lu Long-Ramon (long blade) that were dressed the same as the Long-Bresse but without the arm extensions. They carry a huge broom about 5 meters high decorated with the Malmedy colors (black, yellow, and green). The brush is mainly to just mess with people and it always kept surprising me when I didn't see it coming. It added to my hair looking great by the end of the day! Then there were these other people called Lu Long-Ne who would gather by 6 or 7 and in single file follow around a r
andom person until the random person finally gives up and gives them a tour of the city. They wear a striped hat, a mask with a long nose, and a blue coat. They are totally unrecognizable with their clay pipe in their mouth. It was hilarious. At first, I just thought they were running through the town following their "leader" but not until the end of the day did I realize they were following a random man...! I always saw them running because the "victim" would want to wear them out so they would give up. Not only do they follow the random person around, but they also have to drink what the "victim" drinks! Of cours
e! Then there were these other people who had a little, wooden things that would trap your leg. When they would catch you you would have to go down on one leg and promise the person that you have never drank and you never will. It happened to pretty much everyone and it is hilarious because everyone is drinking but you say you have never tasted beer just so they will let you go. There were these other people called "Lu Lu Savadje-Cayet" that were covered in black make-up (from head to toe) and are covered with colorful, wood chips that would rattle at the slightest movement. When they would come by in the parade they would have a club full of foam and rub you with it ... for some reason. It was an awesome day full of interactive traditions and I'm so glad I got to experience it :) Little cultural experience on a beautiful Sunday in Belgium.After the festivities ended, we went home. I was supposed to go to a birthday party for Francois but I was so exhausted after the exciting day I decided to stay home. I took a "nap" that lasted 14 hours. I am sooo sick! I slept from 6 PM on Sunday to 8 AM on Monday. I was a mess. So on Monday (lundi-gras) I didn't do anything special. Except upload all my photos from Sunday on Facebook!
Tuesday, I took a 2 hour train with Mollie and Marge to the legendary city of Binche to celebrate Mardi-Gras. The Carnival of Binche has a history of dating back at least to the 16th century. Parades are held over three days before Lent. In 2003, the Carnival of Binche was recognized as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. The most important participants are the "Gilles", w
ho go out in traditional costume on Mardi-Gras and throw blood oranges into the crowd. In Binche, the "Gille" is only allowed to wear his Gille costume on Mardi Gras. Tradition also forbids "Gilles" to make performances outside Binche (carnival
has its strict rules). The "Gille's" day starts with his dressing - l'habillage - with his family and is only attended by close relatives. Later the drum comes fetching the "Gille" at his home and his family and friends go from house to house collecting the other members of the town (called the "ramassage"). In the afternoon, during the parade, the "Gille" wears his impressive hat covered with ostrich feathers and offers the huge crowds hundreds of oranges! Marge and I went to Binche thinking that it would be a huge parade like in Malmedy but really all that Binche is known for on Mardi-Gras is orange throwing thrown by these huge, feather hat people. It was kind of funny to think that all these people came just to have oranges chucked at their heads (yes, one hit me in the head) but it is tradition! I'm so glad I was a part of it... it is so different than the Mardi-Gras I think of in New Orleans with beads and huge floats. I'm so glad I got to experience this with my friends :)We took a train home at 7 and the girls came over to my house for the night. Then we woke up early to go meet Rotary at the train station to go to Bastogne. Bastogne (for those of you not really into history) was liberated by the Allies in late 1944 in World War II. Bastogne was attacked by German forces looking for control of the Ardennes. The goal
of the German army was to advance toward Antwerp to cut off supplies and separate the British troops from the American troops. On December 16th, the legendary, war-changing Battle of the Bulge started. This was Hitler's last attempt to win the war in the west. On December 22nd, German emissaries asked for the Americans to surrender since it looked like neither side was going to give up any time soon. General McAuliffe answered the Germans with his famous quote of, "Nuts!" The next day, things started looking better for the Americans. On December 26th, troops under the command of General Patton broke the deadlock and won the battle and liberated the people of Belgium. Bastogne is covered with memorials dedicated to the American soldiers who liberated the town from the German control. I am not very patriotic, but there was something about looking at all the memorials and going through the museums of the town that made me proud of the troops who fought in the Battle of Bulge. This war was 70 years ago and yet, you still feel it when you walk the streets. In America, you just learn about this war in school through text books that don't really give you a real image o
f what life was like for these people that are now grand-parents. The war didn't just affect the soldiers but the towns people... that had to leave their houses they grew up, that had to watch their sons and fathers be taken, that had to watch their town burn to the ground. This war affected everyone it came in contact with and still affects people to this day... you feel this untimely appreciation for the American troops who left their own homes in America to come fight for another countries independence. So ya... I was proud to be from America yesterday as I looked at the Madassan Memorial - a huge star with the 50 United States erected to honor the memory of the American soldiers wounded or killed during the Battle of the Bulge. Along with looking at all the war memorials and museums we also went to a farm that where handicapped peo
ple work. We got to spend a few minutes with sheep and llama! It was so much fun! I have never seen a real llama so it was really fun! We were all scared the
y were going to spit on us...so that was exciting :) It was a fun day along with being a sad with the emotional museums about WWII.I forgot to tell you about my past Friday! Last Friday, the break started and for some reason all the buses went on strike and weren't running. So annoying. Bus strikes are very common here... and really inconvenient. Everyone wanted to go into town after school since it was the start of break so instead of easily catching the bus into town we all walked... 2 hours into town! It was crazy... and so much fun! I was with 3 guy friends and 6 of my close girl friends making the most of the nice weather and walking into town. It was a day I will never forget with my Belgian friends :)
I have had quite a busy week with traveling and enjoying life! I thought I would have a very calm break and I'm happy to say that it has been the farthest from that. I'm so thankful I got to go enjoy the carnivals around Belgium and take a little day trip with Rotary to a historical town.
Life is good :)
Hope everyone is doing well and you all enjoyed the carnival season in some special way also!
Spring is coming soon!
All for now
Mallory
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