Mardi Gras 2024: a rewarding visit to Binche
20 February 2024
With much anticipation and high spirits, the women of Dar Al Amal set off by train to see the traditional carnival in Binche, which is recognized as Unesco cultural heritage. Tuesday February 13 was the third day of carnival in Binche, Mardi Gras, the most important day of the year for the Gilles de Binche, who wear their traditional hats with ostrich feathers only on this day. As always during the outings, an important element was meeting and sharing, to discover together some diverse and at the same time universal traditions and customs.
The group of women was warmly welcomed with delicious home-made pizzas in the cafeteria of “Notre Logis”, a home for vulnerable children where we learned that 16 children between the ages of 6 and 18 currently live. The staff are working to help them return to the family environment when possible. The Dar Al Amal ladies will be happy to welcome this team to Molenbeek next time, as we immediately felt that we were working in the same spirit of positive energy and willingness to help people get back to a happier life.
The visit to the Musée du Masque et du Carnaval was enriching; the ladies learned a lot about the great diversity of folk traditions already in existence in the different regions of Wallonia, and also in the 5 corners of the world. Here, too, there was an interesting exchange between the women (of Turkish, Moroccan, Guinean and Belgian origin): the Moroccan tradition of dressing in sheepskin after the feast of sacrifice was experienced by some, and the colorful costumes of Liberia and Guinea were a childhood memory for others, making for a great sharing experience.
After watching a video that showed us in detail the preparations for the Gilles de Binche, we finally saw the procession that ended with the Gilles – big and small! – marching in a circle around the Grande Place, throwing oranges… which the women were happy to take back to Molenbeek, together with their impressions of this beautiful day.
