Belgian culture and art are well-known, but the country has its own distinctive Christmas customs. There are many holiday-related events and special dishes to enjoy in Belgium.
Belgium’s Christmas traditions include lots of different events such as Advent, Saint Nicholas Day on December 6th, and Christmas Eve. Most traditional celebrations are related to Christmas time in Belgium.
Christmas Day is called “Lumières” (Christmas lights) which being the day when the first light appeared at Christmastime in Europe for many centuries ago means it’s a very special day for Belgians
Here are a few of the unusual features that make Belgium a fantastic Christmas travel destination and most importantly you don’t have to be rich to enjoy these Christmas traditions.
Visiting Christmas Markets
The Christmas markets are among the most distinctive and customary things to do in Belgium during the holiday season. During the Christmas season, these markets, which are common in most American cities and villages, are crucial.
Visitors may discover a selection of Christmas decorations, souvenirs, and other enjoyable items in addition to classic Belgian meals like Belgian waffles, chocolate, and other delicacies.
Traditional Belgian food and drink, as well as handcrafted items like ornaments and souvenirs, are available at a range of stands at the markets. There are typically concerts or plays, carnival rides, as well as other festive activities in addition to market stalls.
Belgium’s Christmas Markets are a wonderful way to immerse yourself in the local culture and celebrate the season.
Eating Fondue or Raclette
The Fondue and Raclette are popular dishes that are considered as the national dish in Belgium. They have been traditionally offered during the Christmas season.
Both fondue and raclette are cheese-based dishes that are frequently accompanied by bread, potato, and veggies. Raclette is a meal of melted butter cheese served on top of boiled potatoes, cucumbers, and other side dishes, whereas fondue is a melted cheese dip eaten in a communal pot.
Both dishes are appreciated by family members and groups of friends alike throughout the Christmas season in Belgium.
Raclette is frequently served with sausages or cured meats, whereas fondue is typically served alongside bread pieces and other ingredients.
Singing Christmas Carols
Singing Christmas Carols is among the most distinctive and customary things to do in Belgium during the Christmas season.
From the Middle Ages, it has been usual to go door-to-door singing carols in gratitude for food and drink in the community.
Caroling is still a significant component of Christmas celebration in Belgium even now. Numerous towns, villages, and regions each have their own caroling groups that gather at night to sing carols in public places and private residences.
With one of Europe’s largest population densities, Belgium prides itself on making it simple for residents to sing carols in public.
Several of the Christmas carols will be decked out in traditional Belgian garb as an added bonus. O Come All Ye Faithful, Silent Night, and Joy to the World are three of the most sung songs in Belgium.
Singing Christmas Carols is some way to take part in the community’s Christmas celebration, sharing joy through song and gift giving.
Eating Speculaas cookies
Traditional ingredients for speculaas biscuits include brown sugar, cream, flour, cardamom, cloves, garlic, nutmeg, cinnamon, and white pepper. They are a sort of spiced flaky pastry biscuit. Typically, cookies are sold in the form of an animal, saint, or windmill. They are frequently served with hot beverages like tea or coffee and are well-liked holiday gifts.
Putting up a Christmas Tree
On the 20th of December you may start putting up a christmas tree in Belgium. The Belgian tradition has it that your Christmas tree should be put up on this day, between 5 and 8 pm, for example. Putting up a Christmas Tree is one of the most distinctive and customary things to do in Belgium during the Christmas season.
The customary Xmas tree in Belgian is often a fir tree that is ornamented and tinseled in the traditional fashion. With Christmas decorations on, the tree is typically placed in the sitting room, in the middle of the house.
Lighting Candles on Christmas Eve
It serves as a sign that Christmas is approaching. Christmas carols are sung as traditional Belgian families meet in their residences, light candles, and share tales and one another’s company.
Candles are lit as a reminder of God’s love’s constancy and as a symbol of the light of Jesus entering the world. It serves as a reminder of the Christmas holiday and the birth of Jesus.
In addition, some families could go to a nearby church to commemorate Jesus’ birth and burn candles in his honour.
Written by Bernard de Laguiche