Belgium Culture

A discussion of Belgian culture requires discussing both those aspects of cultural life shared by 'all' or most of the Belgians, regardless of what language they speak, and also, the differences between the main cultural communities, the Flemish people from Flanders and Brussels and the French-speakers from Brussels and Wallonia.

Most Belgians tend to view their culture as an integral part of European culture or Western culture; nevertheless, both main communities tend to make their thousands of individual and collective cultural choices mainly from within their own community, and then, when going beyond, the Flemish draw intensively from both the English-speaking culture (which dominates sciences, professional life and most news media) and the Netherlands, whereas French-speakers focus on cultural life in Paris and elsewhere in the French-speaking world ( la Francophonie ), and less outside. A truly scientific discussion would also include discussion of the different cultures of Belgian ethnic minorities such as the Jews who have formed a remarkable component of Flemish culture - in particular that of Antwerp for over five hundred years.

Art

Museums

Some of the most impressive museums in Belgium are The Royal Museum for Fine Arts, in Antwerp, which has an admirable collection of works by Peter Paul Rubens, the Groeningemuseum, in Bruges, with the Flemish Primitives, and the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium in Brussels, which has a cinema, a concert hall, and artworks of many periods, including a large René Magritte collection.

Furthermore, the Plantin-Moretus Museum in Antwerp, a world heritage site, is the complete factory of the largest publishing house of the seventeenth century.

Literature

Belgian literature as such does not exist. The Flemish share their authors with the Dutch (see Dutch literature, Flemish literature), and French-speakers with the French (see French literature), which tends to confuse people on Belgian authors; several great French authors went to Belgium for refuge (e.g. Apollinaire, Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Verlaine) and conversely, top French-speaking writers often settle in Paris (e.g. Simenon, Amélie Nothomb). It is also sometimes difficult to cast Belgian authors into the French or Flemish category because some Flemish authors have written in French (e.g. Suzanne Lilar) and spent a large part of their lives outside of Flanders or Belgium (e.g. Emile Verhaeren or Maurice Maeterlinck). The confusion is also enhanced by the fact that many French-speaking individuals come from originally Dutch-speaking families (particularly in Brussels, e.g. Jacques Brel). There have also been writers in the Walloon language, such as Nicolas Defrecheux and Edouard Remouchamps.

Belgium has produced several well-known authors such as poets: Guido Gezelle (1830-1899), Emile Verhaeren (1855-1916), Max Elskamp (1862-1931), Maurice Maeterlinck (1862-1949), Paul van Ostaijen (1896-1926), Henri Michaux (French born and educated in Belgium, 1899-1984) and Jacques Brel (1929–1978) and prose writers: Hendrik Conscience (1812-1883), Charles de Coster (1827-1879), Willem Elsschot (1882-1960), Michel de Ghelderode (1898-1962), Georges Simenon 1903-1989, Louis Paul Boon (1912-1979), Hugo Claus ( 1929 -2008 ), Pierre Mertens (born in 1939) Ernest Claes (1885 - 1968), and, Amélie Nothomb (born in 1967).

Comics

Main article: Belgian comics

Belgium has numerous well-known cartoonists, such as Hergé ( The Adventures of Tintin ), Peyo ( The Smurfs ), Franquin ( Spirou et Fantasio , Marsupilami , Gaston ), Willy Vandersteen ( Spike and Suzy ), Morris ( Lucky Luke ), Edgar P. Jacobs ( Blake and Mortimer ), Jef Nys (Jommeke) and Marc Sleen ( Nero ).

More recently, Jean Van Hamme ( XIII , Largo Winch , Thorgal , etc.), Raoul Cauvin ( Les Tuniques Bleues , Agent 212 ), François Schuiten and Benoît Peeters ( Les Cités Obscures ) are among the most read cartoonists.

Belgium is home to some of the most important European comics magazines and publishers, with Dupuis ( Spirou magazine ), Le Lombard ( Tintin magazine ) and Casterman.

Music

Main article: Music of Belgium

Many important classical composers were born in Belgium. The most famous is undoubtedly César Franck but Henri Vieuxtemps, Eugène Ysaÿe, Guillaume Lekeu and Wim Mertens are also noteworthy. Many great Medieval and Renaissance composers, such as Gilles Binchois, Orlande de Lassus, Guillaume Dufay, Heinrich Isaac and Jacob Obrecht came from the area which is now Belgium (see the Franco-Flemish School).

Well-known singers include pioneer Bobbejaan Schoepen, Jacques Brel, Johnny Hallyday (before he became French), Arno, and Maurane.

Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxophone, was born in Belgium. The country has also a very active jazz scene that is achieving international recognition with bands like Aka Moon, Maak's Spirit and Octurn. Harmonicist Toots Thielemans and guitarist Philip Catherine are probably the best known Belgian jazz musicians.

Hooverphonic, formed in the mid-1990s, is a Belgian pop / trip hop band that achieved international recognition through their inclusion on the soundtrack Bernardo Bertolucci's 1996 film Io Ballo da Sola (English: Stealing Beauty). Other popular Belgian pop music comes from Axelle Red, Vaya Con Dios, Kate Ryan and K's Choice.

Belgium has also influenced electronic music with a.o. Front 242, Praga Khan (also known as Lords of Acid) and 2 Many DJ's, and rock music with dEUS and Soulwax.

Belgian hip-hop started with the rise of Starflam, CNN (a Brussels-based crew) and 't Hof van Commerce in the mid 1990s.

Architecture

There are still many old monuments visible in Belgium, like the romanesque Collégiale Saint-Gertrude de Nivelles (1046) and Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Tournai , gothic Antwerp Cathedral (15th century) and baroque Brussels Grand' Place. The Mosan Renaissance style is typical of the architecture within the Principality of Liège. Famous Art Nouveau architects Victor Horta and Henry Van de Velde have influenced the early 20th century architecture in Belgium and abroad.

Cinematography

Main article: Cinema of Belgium

Belgium cinema has already been rewarded several times at Cannes Film Festival (Benoît Poelvoorde, Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, etc.) and in other less-known festivals. Belgian movies are generally made with small budget, and are mostly funded by the regional governments (the Vlaams Audiovisueel Fonds, and Wallimage, among others) and private corporations by means of sponsorship and product placement.

Gastronomy

Main article: Cuisine of Belgium

Good cooking and fine beers are seen by many as part of Belgian culture. One of the many beers with the high prestige is that of the Trappist monks. Technically, it is an ale and traditionally each abbey's beer is served in its own glass (the forms, heights and widths are different). There are only seven breweries (six of them are Belgian) that are allowed to brew Trappist beer.

Although Belgian gastronomy is connected to French cuisine, some recipes were reputedly invented there as e.g. French-fried potatoes (despite the name), Vlaamse stoofkarbonnaden aka carbonnades flamandes (a beef stew with beer, mustard and bay laurel), speculaas (a sort of cookie), Brussels waffles (and their variant, Belgian waffles), waterzooi (a broth made with chicken or fish, cream and vegetables), endive with bechamel sauce, Brussels sprouts, Belgian pralines (Belgium has some of the most renowned chocolate houses), and Paling In 't Groen (river eels in a sauce of green herbs).

Belgian cookies are noted for their aroma and unique texture.

Folklore

Festivals play a major role in Belgium's cultural life. Nearly every city and town has its own festival, some that date back several centuries. These are not merely aimed at tourism but authentic celebrations that take months to prepare. Two of the biggest festivals are the three-day carnival at Binche, near Mons, held just before Lent (the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter), and the Procession of the Holy Blood, held in Bruges in May. During the carnival in Binche, "Gilles", which are men dressed in high, plumed hats and bright costumes, lead the procession. Several of these festivals include sporting competitions, such as cycling, and many fall under the category of kermesse.

An important holiday (which is however not an official public holiday) takes place each year on December 6 . This is Sinterklaasdag in Dutch or la Saint-Nicolas in French (English: Saint Nicholas ). This is sort of an early Christmas. On December 5 evening before going to bed, children put their shoes by the hearth with water or wine and a carrot for Saint Nicholas's horse or donkey. According to tradition, St. Nicholas comes at night and travels down the chimney. He then takes the food and water or wine, leaves presents, goes back up, feeds his horse or donkey, and continues on his course. He also knows whether children have been good or bad. This holiday is especially loved by children in Belgium and the Netherlands. Dutch immigrants imported the tradition into the United States, where Saint Nicholas is now known as Santa Claus.

See also

• Dutch literature
• List of Belgians

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