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Ghent Festivities |
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Ghent Festivities |
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Originally, the orangists had launched the horse races and the municipal festivities. Their brainchild, however, was immediately recycled by the patriots. This was not surprising given that the orangist movement blew over during the earliest festivities. In 1838, King William I cancelled his claims on Belgium. One year later, when the position of an independent Belgium in Europe was arranged thanks to the Treaty of 24 articles, the orangists had no longer a reason to exist and were gradually absorbed by the liberals.
During the second Municipal Festivities, in 1844, king Leopold I officially led the foundation stone of the new Stock House at the Dock. During three days, he and complete royal family took part in the festivities. A new three-day visit followed in 1849. King Leopold I opened the industrial exhibition in the Gent Town Hall and viewed the historic parade with the theme "the counts of Flanders".
As usual, the horse races took place two weeks earlier, in June. In 1853 the festivities were consecrated to the 18th birthday of Prince Leopold, duke of Flanders, in 1855 the count of Flanders visited the festivities and one year later the duke of Brabant was the guest of honour. The latter came back in 1866 and 1872 when he was already king (Leopold II). In 1881 the Municipal Festivities were dedicated to 50 years of Belgian Independence.
In spite of the patriotic character of the Municipal Festivities in the 19th century, the relationship with July 21st, the national holiday, emerged relatively late and rather pragmatically, shortly after the First World War. As from 1832, the birthday of the oath taking of King Leopold I was celebrated every year in Gent with a Te Deum and a mustering of the troops. In that time, that day was still a working day. Till World War I - when the Gent Festivities started on the second Sunday of July - July 21st sporadically coincided with the last or next-to-last day of the festivities. Only after the interrupting years of war the town council decided in 1919 to pay particular attention to the national holiday in honour of the war victims.
Shortly after that, it was decided to give the municipal employees and officials one week off during the Gent Festivities. In order to avoid that after the Festivities the employees should be given another day off on July 21st, it was decided to shift the starting date of the festivities to the second and third Sunday of July. That way July 21st would always drop in the beginning of the festivities' week.
Ever since, all the employees of the city are free during the Gent Festivities, but they have to work on Monday, the day of the empty purses.
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Last update: 08/07/2003 - © 2003 STAD GENT.