Folklore and Carnivals of Wallonia

Opened in January 2020, this particularly colourful section invites you to discover the folklore and carnivals of Wallonia. It displays about forty costumes and masks which are presented by province.

In Wallonia there are folklore festivals throughout the year, with especially busy periods and some quieter months. « Grands feux » (bonfires), marches, « ducasses » (fairs) and carnivals are important moments structuring the lives of the Walloons.

Depending on their contexts, these festivals have developed differently as far as their history is concerned. Some of them are rooted in pagan or religious rites of the Middle Ages. Other more recent ones are a demonstration of people’s enthusiasm for these festivals today. No matter if they are old or recent, they play in any case an important social role within the communities they belong to.