Carnival of Aalst

The Carnival of Aalst is a three-day annual street festival held in Aalst, East Flanders, Belgium, in the days before Ash Wednesday. Known for its vibrant parades, satirical costumes, and local traditions, it draws tens of thousands of visitors each year.

• Three-day street festival before Ash Wednesday
• Over 100 floats parade through Aalst on Sunday
• Mock city council session opens the festivities
• Traditional Broom Dance and 'onion throw' on Monday
• Voil Jeanetten stoet: men parade in women's clothing on Tuesday

What it is

The Carnival of Aalst is a lively, three-day celebration that transforms the city of Aalst into a stage for satire, music, and revelry. Locals and visitors fill the streets, dancing on town squares and moving from café to café. The festival is renowned for its playful spirit, elaborate floats, and costumes that often poke fun at politicians and current events. For the people of Aalst, it is a cherished tradition that brings the community together in a burst of creativity and humor before the solemn period of Lent.

Where it comes from

The roots of the Carnival of Aalst stretch back to the Middle Ages, with cavalcades recorded since 1851. However, it was only in 1923 that the city council began officially organizing the parade, marking the start of the modern festival. Over the years, the carnival has become a symbol of local identity and satire. In 2010, UNESCO recognized it as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, but this status was withdrawn in 2019 after controversies over offensive depictions in the parade.

How it is celebrated

Celebrations begin with a humorous mock city council session on Saturday evening, where Prince Carnival receives the city key and local politicians are lampooned in the local dialect. Sunday features the main parade, with over 100 floats and groups from Aalst, ranging from large, decorative displays to smaller groups focused on sharp satire. Monday brings a more relaxed parade, prize-giving, the traditional Broom Dance by the Gilles of Aalst, and the 'onion throw'—where candy onions, some with prize numbers, are tossed from the city hall balcony. Tuesday is marked by the Voil Jeanetten stoet, a parade where men dress in exaggerated women's clothing, a nod to the festival's humble origins. The festivities end with the burning of a giant puppet, closing the carnival with music and communal emotion.

Joining in

Visitors can immerse themselves in the heart of the festivities by heading to Aalst's town squares and main streets, where the parades and celebrations unfold. Expect a vibrant, crowded atmosphere with music, dancing, and costumed revelers. While most events are open to all, it's helpful to be aware of the festival's satirical and sometimes provocative humor. The city becomes a stage, and everyone is welcome to join the procession, sample local treats, and experience the unique traditions that define Aalst's carnival.

Sources and attribution

This page is Mela's own summary, written in new words. Its facts are drawn from the Wikipedia article Carnival of Aalst, whose text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Each photo is credited to its author beside it. For the full account, read the originals below.

Read more

• Carnival of Aalst on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• Official websiteOfficial site
• UNESCO Intangible Cultural HeritageArticle
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos
• Wikidata recordOpen data

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