The Carnival of Binche

In the early hours of Shrove Tuesday the Gilles are dressed by their families. The ritual takes hours. The costume consists of more than twenty layers: a linen shirt, a padded doublet, a skirt hung with bells, and the famous embroidered tunic bearing lions, crowns and coats of arms.

Around the waist rows of bells are fastened — dozens of copper bells that jingle with every step. The Gille receives his wax mask and dances out of the house accompanied by drummers. The street fills with the sound of bells and drums.

The wax mask is the heart of the tradition. It shows a stylised face with green spectacles, a moustache and a broad grin. It is worn only in the morning. The Gille dances with small, rhythmic steps, his feet barely leaving the ground, the bells jingling with every movement.

In the afternoon the mask disappears and the ostrich-feather headdress appears — a towering hat of white, red and yellow that makes the Gille more than a metre taller. Now he throws oranges to the crowd, blood oranges as a symbol of luck and fertility.

In 2003 UNESCO recognised the Carnival of Binche as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. It was one of the first traditions in the world to receive this recognition.

But for the people of Binche the carnival was always more than folklore. It is an annual ritual that brings families together, connects generations and affirms the identity of the town. To become a Gille is an honour passed from father to son — a promise to keep the tradition alive, bell by bell, dance by dance.