BINCHE FESTIVAL IN LOW COST SO ARE BINCHE FESTIVAL BELGIUM  

Carnival of Binche

The carnival of Binche is an event that takes place each year in the Belgian town of Binche during the Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday preceding Ash Wednesday. The carnival is the best known of several that take place in Belgium at the same time and has been proclaimed as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity listed by UNESCO. Its history dates back to approximately the 14th century

 

The carnival of Binche is an event that takes place each year in the Belgian town of Binche during the Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday preceding Ash Wednesday. The carnival is the best known of several that take place in Belgium at the same time and has been proclaimed as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity listed by UNESCO. Its history dates back to approximately the 14th century

Click on the picture to see more photos.

 

Text and Photos: Sergi Reboredo

Carnival Season in French-speaking Belgium

Belgium comes alive each year as carnival season begins. To experience one of the most festive times of year, venture into Belgium’s French-speaking region in the south, Wallonia, with its rolling hills, lush green landscapes and picturesque towns with cobble stone streets.

Each town has their own colorful celebration taking place, generally, immediately before Lent. The festivities come complete with costumes, masks, street parties and processions filling the streets. Carnival is steeped in long standing Medieval traditions, which locals take pride in recreating each year.

Belgium's most famous carnival, the carnival in small town of Binche, attracts thousands of visitors annually. This colorful event, named a UNESCO Masterpiece of the Oral and Intagible Heritage of Humanity, is a must see event. Dating back to the 14th century, it is most famous for its parade on Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) of Gilles - performers disguised with masks, red costumes and wooden clogs.

The Gilles of Binche follow a strict set of rules. They must be born in Binche, can only come out on Mardi Gras, need to be guided by a drummer at all times and are not allowed to sit down or get drunk in public. On Mardi Gras, they meet on the Grand Place of Binche dancing with brooms to sound of drums to chase away the cold and evil spirits then march through town throwing oranges at the public, a symbol of the coming of spring.

 

BINCHE, the best carnival.

The Carnival of Binche is a living and exceptional heritage, a popular, human and social event. It has been recognized as a "Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" by UNESCO in 2003.

This folkloric event, coming from a long oral tradition, is a real rite that gives the participants the feeling to be unique. For the inhabitants, and according to the famous quote, "there is no place like Binche in the world".

During a few months, the inhabitants and the City prepared their Carnival, in a real communion, and it is obviously the most important moment in the life of the City of Binche. The next Carnival will happen on the 15th, 16th ans 17th Februari with as highlight the journey of more than 1000 Gilles on Shrove Tuesday. This preparation process requires a lot of coordination for a lot of people : the association for the defense of Folklore, the association for the defense of the Shrove Monday, the committees of the Carnival societies, the Nonprofit Organization Carnival of Binche, de City of Binche, the Police, the assistance services,…
Through this website you will find all the historical, folkloric, and practical information linked to the Carnival of Binche. You will also discover the photo galleries and the videos of the Carnival festivities and its preparations. More: http://www.carnavaldebinche.be/home-eng.html


BINCHE FESTIVAL IN YOUR POCKET

Publication date: March 2015
Language: Castilian
Price: 9,95 €

 

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Children Binche festival
Children Binche festival: city also for the kids

 

 

History

Binche owns one of the oldest shrove customs and the most characterized of Wallonie.
Its fame goes beyond our borders and keeps fascinating a public from around the world.
Its reputation is justified because of the originality and authenticity of Binche customs which are still the same since the traditional shrove days and the strong commitment from the family and carnival societies beginning of fall.

The origins of the Carnival of Binche are still unclear. Historians and folkloric experts which have been studying the carnival for a half century remains restrained when it comes to the question since the lack of elements mentioning 'Gille" before the XVIII century and the poor quality of the material proofs. If it was not enough legends states a mystical or historical character which have help to obscure the reality for far more fantastic or more romantic origins. One thing is sure is that the origins of Carnival of Binche stay mysterious… (Christel Deliège).

The legend with the most success is the one of the Gille descendant from the Incas made up by a journalist by Adolphe Delmée in the XIX century. Those Incas would have appeared un costume during festivities organized by Marie from Hungary in 1549 to welcome her brother, Charles Quint and his nephew Philippe II. The inhabitants must have appreciated their exotic and colorful costume to perpetuate the procession in their own city. This hypothesis seduced and still seduced some actors of the Carnival of Binche because this gives them an historical aspect and quite flattering.

The pre-Carnival festivities

The pre-Carnival festivities begin on Sunday, six weeks before the shrove days. At first, there are the drums rehearsal, then the soumonces with drums and finally the soumonces with music. These happen one of the two Sundays so that all the societies do not rehearse on the same day.

During the drums rehearsal, the societies listen to their own drums in their own meeting room and then they walk the streets to the rhythm of the drums and the bass drum.

During the soumonces with percussions, the societies gather together in a café out of the city center and then they join the center with accompaniment of the drums and the bass drums. The Gilles-to-be put then their clogs on and wear their apertintaille (a belt with small bells). They dance and shake their ramon .

For the soumonces with music, a brass orchestra joins the drums and the participants wear a Shrove Sunday Costume, which they have already worn at a previous Carnival.

Next to those festivities, some galas are organized by the Youths or by the Shrove Monday Association, on Saturday night : the ball of Children, the ball of the Socialist Youth, the ball of the Liberal Youth and the ball of the Catholic Youth. Those balls are entertained by orchestras and people wear often costumes.

The Monday before the Shrove Sunday, there is the night of the « Trouilles de Nouilles » during which some costumed and masked groups picks out a person without any costume – and preferably famous –, about 8pm, in a café or in street of the city center, in order to make jokes to him or her.

Shrove Sunday

Shrove Sunday is the most colorful day of the Carnival. The Gilles, Peasants, Pierrots and Alequins-to-be wear a fantasy costume, that has been imagined months ago and prepared in secret.

From 7am the participants leave their home walking from door to door through the city in small groups, with the sound of the drums or the viola. The visitors can then admire the beauty and the originality of the "Sunday costumes".

After a meal with their family or their friends, the societies gather together again on the Eugène Derbaix square, near the station, for the Shrove Sunday procession. Accompanied by the drums and the brass instruments, they join the Wanderpepen Avenue and they finally split up at the Charles Deliège Avenue.

After the procession the societies continues to walk the streets with music playing until the end of the evening. The sound of the drums will then give rhythm to the night.

Shrove Monday

Shrove Monday is the most intimate day, the inhabitants of Binche gather to spend time together. This day is dedicated to the youth and the children. The three Youths of Binche – the Catholic Youth, the Liberal Youth and the Socialist Youth –get together within the Association for the Defense of Shrove Monday, for 18 years. They must protect and promote the Shrove Monday celebration.

From 10am, the Youths get out in groups, accompanied by the violas, walk the streets from café to café, and dance all morning long in the city.

Around 11am confetti battles are generally organized in the cafés of the city center.

About 3pm the Youths gather in their own meeting room and join the Grand Place, offering oranges to people. All the costumed children gather then in order to form the "Friendship rondeau".

About 5pm, the Youths walk slowly in the direction of the station, where the firework will be launched at about 7pm.

Shrove Tuesday

Shrove Tuesday begins with the dressing-up, a family moment, when the Gille wears its traditional costume.
From dawn, equipped with its Ramon for the dance, the first Gille will leave its home with a drummer and sometimes a joueur de caisse. Accompanied by friends and parents, he will pick up at specific neighborhood the others Gilles of its society. Most of the time, the arrival at a Gille's home is accompanied by a fife or clarinet tune.

Around 7.00am the societies are finally brought together and then go eating oysters and champagne.

At 8.30 am and during all morning the societies of Gille, of Peasants and fantasies (Harlequin and Pierrots) meet up on the Grand-Place. The Gilles and the peasant wear their mask of wax. They are received at the city of hall by the local authorities to get their jubilee medals.
Around noon, all participants get back to their home for lunch.

At 3.00pm the procession starts from the intersections of Battignies. Then it crosses the Charles Deliège avenue to get to the Grand-Place for forming a rondeau there. It is during the procession that the participants offer their oranges and that the Gille wears his ostrich feather hat. The society are accompanied by drums and music

About 20.00 pm, the night procession starts following the same path than the afternoon procession by the Bengali fire gleam. The baskets are empty and the Gilles have taken off the hat

Around 21.00pm, the Grand-Place sets ablaze with fireworks which ends up the Carnival with a « Plus Oultre » (a Charles Quint meaning always further) lighted to finish off the Carnival. The societies will continue to dance all night long in the rhythm of the drums but everyone has to be home before dawn

 

About 20.00 pm, the night procession starts following the same path than the afternoon procession by the Bengali fire gleam. The baskets are empty and the Gilles have taken off the hat  Around 21.00pm, the Grand-Place sets ablaze with fireworks which ends up the Carnival with a « Plus Oultre » (a Charles Quint meaning always further) lighted to finish off the Carnival. The societies will continue to dance all night long in the rhythm of the drums but everyone has to be home before dawn

 

The Gille

In Binche around thousand of Gilles can be seen on Shrove Tuesday. The Gille's costume can only be worn for this special day. It is also forbidden to get out of the city with it, from this comes the saying "a Gille never leaves".

The costume is only for the man from Binche family or for the citizen leaving in Binche for at least 5 years. Strong rules are setting up to control the participation of the Carnival. A Folkloric defense association was created to promote and protect the tradition of Binche.

The Gille costume is a tunic and trousers made of jute decorated with 150 patterns (stars, lions and crowns) in fine black felt fabric. When the Gille dresses up, the tunic is filled up with straw at the front and the back with a small bell.

At the belt, he wears a woolen red and yellow belt mounted with a cloth called "apertintaille" and composed of copper bells. A collar with pleaded lace rubbans or golden fringes which can be attached around the neck on the bumps.


On his head, a « barrette » a white cotton hat and a tissue around the neck (pleaded squares worn around the neck and laced on the head to keep the hat on) cover all the hair. During Shrove Tuesday's afternoon procession, the Gille wears his ostrich feathers hat. The Gille does not own the costume nor the hat. He rent them at the "louageur" who is specialized in costumes and hat making and letting. Binche counts three all of them coming from the same family. To his feet, Gill wears wooden clogs.

Shrove Tuesday's morning, the Gille wears its famous mask to enter the city hall. Made by the Pourbaix workshop, it is made of wax, decorated with green glasses, a moustache and a tiny goatee and side whiskers. In 1985, Binche registered to the European Patent office to have the exclusive rights: The mask can only be worn in Binche and sell to Gille from their society.

On Tuesday morning and during the soumonces with drums, the Gille hold in his hand a ramon. Once a broom, the ramon is composed of sticks of dry sallow put together with sinew rattan. The Gille gives the rhythm with the ramon and the baskets (hold on Shrove's Tuesday afternoon).

The Peasants

The society of the Peasants is called « fantasy » society, and comes from the Collège Notre-Dame de Bon Secours of Binche.

The Peasant wears a soberer costume than the Gille : a blue smock decorated with white sleeves, white pants, slim shoes decorated with wrinkled ribbons, white gloves and a different ramon than the Gille. The Peasant generally wears a hat decorated with 2 white ostrich feathers and long white ribbons. He also wears a "barrette" as well as a large square white textile under the chin. Finally the Peasants wear a mask that looks like the mask of the Gille but without the moustache and the beard.

 

The Arlequins

The society of the Arlequins (Harlequin) is called « fantasy » society, and comes from the Royal Athenee of Binche. They can be either girls or boys.

The Arlequins are inspired by the Comedia Dell'Arte. The wear a shirt and pants made of a textile printed with yellow, red and green triangles, and a black belt. Their felt hat is green, ended by a black and grey fur tail. They wear a half-mask of Arlecchino with a fur border. They hold a bat in their hand which is decorated with colorful ribbons.

 

The Pierrots

The society of the Pierrots is called « fantasy » society, and comes from the Petit Collège of Binche. They can be either girls or boys.

The Pierrots are inspired by the Comedia Dell'Arte. They wear a conical hat, decorated with lace and a white ribbon on the top. They wear a shirt and pants from the same color : pink, blue or yellow. Their masks depict a black wolf and they hold a stick in their hands decorated with colorful ribbons.

 

The wife of Gille

Raised in the Carnival overwhelming atmosphere, the inhabitants of Binche are devoted participants; from costumed characters to musicians or to the Gilles wives their commitment is felt as natural and spontaneous whatever their parts in the festivities.

Most of the time, the Gille's wife is kept in the shadow of the Binche hero. Nevertheless the Gille wife is truly an essential companion; from private to public life. In the earliest months of the festivity, the Gille wife is already fully active taking care of the costumes as well as doing all kind of planning like for the soumonces (pre-carnival festivities) and the Carnival itself. Not really a spectator nor an actress, it is really during the ceremony that the Gille's wife lives both her most obvious and ungrateful part from an unwarned spectator point of view. However, for the Gille's wife the show does not stop in private life as it stops for the spectators or the Gille, she still has to take care of the chores back home like getting dinners ready, looking after the costumes or redoing the children make-up and finally washing up the dishes.

Finally, it is as her leading part in children education that the Gille's wife get a central and essential role in the society of Binche.

Their missions are seen as crucial since they are the ones to raise the children in the traditions of Binche. They are the ones to teach them the dances, what is permitted and what is not during the Carnival, the dressing-up ceremonial of Gille and most of all - the love for Binche traditions and its carnival rituals. Their goal is obviously to get an unconditional and natural participation from the children.

 

Societies

Every Society has to take care of their members, the Gilles, the Peasants, the Pierrots and the Arlequins (Harlequins). It must especially hire a drums group, musicians, and organize all the logistics linked to the "picking up". Every Society is leaded by a committee, a president, a vice-president, a secretary and a treasurer.

Each Society has also 3 or 4 commissioners who are linked to it. Those commissioners are representatives for the Association for the Defense of Folklore, they wear a domino (black satin dress), and they must keep the cohesion within the Society and make sure that everybody respects the timetable for the scheduled moving.

The participation to the Carnival is expensive for the Gille and his family : fees to the Society, renting the Shrove Monday costume, making the Shrove Sunday costume, and all the costs of the meals and the parties.

They are 13 Carnival Society in Binche :

Royal Society les Récalcitrants
Royal Society Les Petits Gilles
Royal Society Les Indépendants
Royal Society Les Paysans
Royal Society Les Pierrots
Royal Society Les Réguénaires
Royal Society Les Maxim's
Royal Society Les Supporters
Royal Society Les Incas
Society Les Arlequins
Society Les Incorruptibles
Society Les Jeunes Indépendants
Society Les Arpeyants

 

Musicians

Every society has its own drums. A drums group includes 6 or 7 tambours, a bass drum player and a bass drum carrier. All the drums play the same melodies in the rhythm of the "ra" and the "fla" but every group plays on his own way. In Binche, the Gille never walks without a tambour which gives rhythm to his dance.

During the soumonces in music and the afternoon processions, the drums are accompanied by a brass orchestra.
There is 26 Gilles melodies in Binche : Air classique des Gilles - Lion de Belgique - Le postillon de Longjumeau – Le Sans souci - Le petit jeune homme de Binche - L'ambulant - Vivent les Bleus - Paysan s'en va - Eloi à Charleroi – Cavalcade - Le juif errant - La classe – Sérénade - Pas de charge - Mère tant pis - Vos arez in aubade – Arlequin - Les d'gins de l'Estène - El doudou - Quand m'grand-mère - Les chasseurs - Trompette des cent gardes - Les marins - Les brigands - Polka marche and Aubade matinale, only played on Shrove Tuesday morning until the daybreak.

The viola is another typical instrument of the folklore of Binche, and it accompanies the Youth on Shrove Tuesday but also small groups on Shrove Sunday morning. The viola is transportable barrel organ of which the keyboard and the bellows works with a cylinder which is moved by a handle, called "manique". The viola player is called « Le manniqueu ».

 

The viola is another typical instrument of the folklore of Binche, and it accompanies the Youth on Shrove Tuesday but also small groups on Shrove Sunday morning. The viola is transportable barrel organ of which the keyboard and the bellows works with a cylinder which is moved by a handle, called "manique". The viola player is called « Le manniqueu ».

 

Poster of the Carnival 2015

A few days before the first « soumonce en batterie » during which the future Gilles come out for the first time of the year with their wooden clogs, their apertintaille (bells belt) and their ramon (little broom), the municipality of Binche and the Tourist office have unveiled the official poster of the carnival of Binche 2015.

In 2014 the carnival of Binche celebrated the tenth anniversary of its recognition as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by Unesco. On this occasion the municipality of Binche and the tourist office had organized a national contest for the conception of the carnival poster.

In consequence of the success with the public and the great number of participants of last year's contest, the national contest was organized again for the edition 2015 of the carnival of Binche.

55 posters were chosen among more than 120 projects and presented to the public during an exhibition organized from 12 to 21 December 2014 at the theatre of Binche.

During the two weeks of the exhibition, more than 800 persons voted for their 5 favourite projects.

This year, the jury has particularly appreciated the liveliness and warmth radiated by the winning poster. Miss Louise Lodico, who is a student at the "Haute Ecole Louvain en Hainaut" in Mons is the winner of the national poster contest for the carnival of 2015.

Besides the notoriety she will gain by the promotion of the poster through the media and the spreading of her creation, the laureate receives for the first prize a check over 1.500 € offered by the Tourist office.

There are two types of the poster of the carnival of Binche 2015 available which are edited and sold by the Tourist office:
The standard poster with the programme : 4 €
The numerated collector poster signed by the laureate: 8 €


Infos : Tourist office
Grand-Place – Binche
064/33.67.27
tourisme@binche.be

Opening hours:
During the week: 10a.m. – noon and 1 – 5 p.m.
On the 4 weekends before Shrovetide: 2 – 6 p.m.


Binche

Binche has a great heritage. The Tourist Office staff informs you about all interesting and unusual things to see in the city, the sites to visit and the great number of events that happens during the whole year in the City of the Gille.

The Tourist Office of Binche offers various tourism information, guided sightseeing tours, as well as discovery journeys with the possibility to taste local food (on request).

During the pre-Carnival festivities a big information stand will be set up in the lobby of the local theater in order to receive the great number of tourists. Indeed, since the UNESCO recognized the Carnival of Binche as "Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" there are more and more tourists wishing to know everything about our folklore. Besides the explanation signs and the information videos, "Bluetooth" terminals will allow you to download more than forty short films giving more details about the Carnival de Binche.

The Tourist Office of Binche welcomes you :

From Monday to Friday: from 10 to 12am and from 1 to 5 pm.
On Saturday and Sunday: from 2 to 6 pm (from 04/01 to 09/30 and the four week-ends before the Carnival).

During the Carnival, the Tourist Office of Binche receives you :

Sunday 2nd March : from 9am to 6pm.
Monday 3rd March : from 10am to 6pm.
Tuesday 4th March : from 8am to 7pm.

Tourist information Office of Binche
Grand-Place – 7130 Binche
Tel: 064/33.67.27
Fax: 064/23.06.47
Email: tourisme@binche.be



Gift of a Gille costume to Manneken Pis

February 1st marked an historic moment for the folklore of Binche since Manneken Pis has put on his new Gille costume. He will wear it on Tuesday 4th March and each year on Shrove Tuesday.

As part of the 10th UNESCO anniversary of Binche Carnival, a big delegation from Binche composed of town authorities, representatives of Binche's folklore and the Carnival and Mask Museum and townspeople went to Brussels in order to officially give the new costume to Manneken Pis.

Actually, the « union of Binche for the commercial expansion » had offered a first costume to Manneken Pis in 1929. But the costume was so old than it couldn't be weared anymore. That's why the Carnival and Mask International Museum has decided to offer a new costume to the most famous little Brusseleer of the country.

By the way, an exhibition about the Binche Carnival takes place at the Folklore and Tradition's House in Brussels until March 9th.

Town center decorated with UNESCO colors
Early february, as part of the 10th UNESCO anniversary of the Binche Carnival, the main roads of the town center, and more precisely of the different processions, were decorated by installing kakemonos « Binche Carnival – UNESCO Heritage » with colors black, yellow and red.
Sheets repeating the same visual were also installed at the various entrances of the town.

Next Inauguration

February the 26th at 7pm, a new plaque commemorating the recognition of the Binche Carnival will be unveiled to the public. It will be installed on the facade of the municipal theater.

A UNESCO rond-point

Finally, the rond-point located at the intersection of the street of Brussels and the Brunehault roadway will be very soon decorated with UNESCO colors.

 

The story really begins in 1975 when Samuël Glotz inaugurates a museum juxtaposing European masked traditions: the similarities between them are indeed striking, but so is the cultural diversity reflected by them. Since then, the Museum's collections have been continuously enlarged. Today it preserves about 10 000 masks and costumes (as well as, for example, ritual objects and accessories used in festivals, musical instruments, puppets, posters). It shows the multiple faces of the mask: from the mask in Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania and America as well as the carnival mask, the theatre mask or the ritual mask to the archaeological, the old and the contemporary mask.

 

Binche Musée International du Carnaval et du masque

The story really begins in 1975 when Samuël Glotz inaugurates a museum juxtaposing European masked traditions: the similarities between them are indeed striking, but so is the cultural diversity reflected by them. Since then, the Museum's collections have been continuously enlarged. Today it preserves about 10 000 masks and costumes (as well as, for example, ritual objects and accessories used in festivals, musical instruments, puppets, posters). It shows the multiple faces of the mask: from the mask in Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania and America as well as the carnival mask, the theatre mask or the ritual mask to the archaeological, the old and the contemporary mask.

The Mask Museum has widely spread activities: permanent and temporary exhibitions (at the museum or in other places), publications, pedagogical activities (including holiday workshops and birthday parties), a documentation centre etc.

Located in the Belgian province of Hainaut at about 60 km to the south of Brussels, the small town of Binche is above all known for its famous traditional carnival and its Gilles who have become worldwide symbols of Belgium.

Today the old town centre has just under 10.000 inhabitants. Townwalls, about 2000 metres long, and 22 towers surround the heart of the town which each year, during seven weeks, beats to the rhythm of the carnival drums. Binche is proud of its rich medieval past, of its rank of countytown of Hainaut having welcomed inside of its walls and in its castle a number of illustrious guests.

On the market square, in front of the belfry and the town hall, the setting of one of the most traditional European carnivals, the protagonists of the Binche carnival fraternally dance the "rondeau". They are accompanied by their families, their friends and all those who cannot resist the captivating rhythm of the Gille's dance.

Undoubtedly, more than anywhere else, the town reminds the visitor at each step of its profound attachment to its carnival tradition which is also reflected by the existence of the international Carnival and Mask Museum.

In 1570, when the building of today's Mask Museum was the residence of a noble Binchois family, the Lalaing, it was bought back by the canon Jean Duquesne who decided to house a school there.

In 1757 the building was taken over by the Augustinians and renamed into "Collège des Augustins"; it was not until1778 that it was given the general aspect that we know today.

The French Revolution imposes secular education until 1880, the year in which the school passes again into the hands of the Catholics and is from now on called "Municipal Middle School" which quickly moves to the "Collège Notre-Dame de Bon Secours". The building then becomes a public secondary school and in 1975 its function definitely changes: with the support of the mayor and deputy Charles Deliège, the folklorist Samuël Glotz obtains the authorisation to found at that place the international Carnival and Mask Museum. Samuël Glotz becomes the first curator of this museum.

During the thirty years following the museum's opening, the first curator and later on his successor, Michel Revelard, never stop enriching the collections of this institution - unique of its kind - through numerous and exceptional acquisitions. Today, the Mask Museum, with its about 10 000 objects (masks, disguises, puppets and accessories used in masked traditions), is not only a museum dedicated to the masked traditions of the whole world, but also a research and documentation centre focussing on the study and the preservation of masking traditions on the five continents.

The ground floor (temporarily closed due to renovation works) and part of the first floor host the temporary exhibitions of the museum.


On the first floor you can find:
- the carnival of Binche. Visit the "Gallery of Binche" tracing back the evolution of the Binche carnival by means of old photographs. It also shows the different stages of the carnival cycle. For individual visitors, there are audio-guides in English, French and Dutch available.

- the carnivals of Wallonia (Stavelot, Malmedy, Fosses-la-Ville etc.).

- "European masks. A living heritage". For individual visitors, there are audio-guides in English, French and Dutch available.
Closed as of 10 September 2014

The second floor is entirely dedicated to the pedagogical section.

As the children of today will be the adults of tomorrow, we have to arouse their interest in culture by initiating them into the functions of a museum, by showing them the different materials masks are made of and by explaining to them the functions of masked rites. They are also taken to the heart of Binche and its carnival (recognised by Unesco in 2003) via the work of the craftsmen who keep this tradition up.

The journey continues leading the children through the five continents in the company of zoomorphic masks which certainly are ludic and amusing, but which, at the same time, are vehicles of multiple symbols and have important missions.

Pedagogical file on the website.

Workshops, children's birthday parties and holiday activities take place on the second floor. Shortly the museum will also offer workshops for adults.

About masks

The mask is not easy to define. There is a great variety of mask types (face masks, helmet masks, headdress masks, belly masks etc.) and of materials (wood, plastic, feathers, animal skin, straw etc.). Masks have innumerable functions: they occur in initiation ceremonies, funerals, agricultural rituals and carnivals and on many other occasions. Each mask reflects the social, political, religious, cultural and historic features of the society which has produced it. By the way, the word "mask" can also be applied to make-up, puppets, scarifications etc. In an introduction to the mask it should also be mentioned that it is never an object used apart. It is worn together with accessories and a costume – which is often included in the term "mask" - and is accompanied by music. It can be found in the heart of a community consisting of the mask wearer, his attendants and the spectators. Moreover, it is worn in a particular place and at a particular time. All this – and many other elements – make the mask a paradox object: it is at the same time a ritual and a festive object, it is scheming and mysterious. It is universal but at the same time each mask is unique.

The Mask Museum preserves about 10 000 masks, costumes, puppets, ritual object and music instruments, but also posters, sheet music and iconographic documents. It possesses about 30.000 objects. They come from near (Binche, Belgium and Europe) and far (America, Asia, Oceania, Africa) and despite their amazing diversity they only give a very global idea of the cultural wealth of the world we live in. They give us the opportunity to discover the traditions, mythologies, practices and beliefs of other peoples and make us aware of the fact that we are "world citizens".

 

The Mask Museum preserves about 10 000 masks, costumes, puppets, ritual object and music instruments, but also posters, sheet music and iconographic documents. It possesses about 30.000 objects. They come from near (Binche, Belgium and Europe) and far (America, Asia, Oceania, Africa) and despite their amazing diversity they only give a very global idea of the cultural wealth of the world we live in. They give us the opportunity to discover the traditions, mythologies, practices and beliefs of other peoples and make us aware of the fact that we are "world citizens".

 

BEST PDF GUIDE BINCHE FESTIVAL for children.