" 21 July - nationale feestdag." Top 5 Page for this destination Belgium Local Custom Tip by belgianchocolate

On 21 july Belgium celebrates it's independence day.
We call it our national holiday - nationale feestdag.
On that day 1830 Belgium kicked out the Dutch
and assumed they would do better on their own. ;-)

Since we can compare the Netherlands with Belgium
we can say we do things different. ;-)
Don't expect too much of patriotisme this day.
Belgians motto seems to be 'act normal ,
that is already crazy enough'.
When the dutch seem to dress up all in orange that
day ...you can easly count the flags in the
streets of Brussels---with one hand.


But it is always worth going to brussels.
At two o'clock there is a military parade...
most people go there to see what hat the
queen is wearing for the occasion.
(the poor lady has to watch that crap every year ,
she sometimes can't resist of doing some gaping)
The royal family can be found in the tribune
in front of the palace.

And there is a lot of eating and drinking from
the 'palace of justice' on the 'poelaertplein'
till the 'koningsstraat'. Some information tents ,
animation , a parade.... and some action with
the army. Like hanging on a pulley and
fall from tha palace of justice - that is the building
right in the middle of the picture.