Iris Festival
The Iris Festival is the annual and official celebration of the Brussels-Capital Region in Belgium. This takes place on May 8.[1][2]
Concert of Hooverphonic at the 2007 Iris Festival
It is a day off for Brussels officials.[3]
The date of May 8 was chosen for three reasons:
- It takes place during the flowering period of the iris—also called flower of Lys—which is the symbol of the region and is pictured at its flag.[4][5]
- It is the day of the victory against Nazi Germany during World War II.[4]
- It is also one of the feasts of Saint Michael the Archangel, patron saint of Brussels.
During the multi-day party, free concerts, street entertainment and all kinds of activities are organized for the general public. Some monuments are exceptionally accessible to the public, and a food truck festival takes place on this day.
In 2008, there were 100,000 participants at the festivities.[2]
Since 2015, Rock Around The Atomium has also been organized at the Atomium in this weekend.
See also
References
- "National Day and feast days of Communities and Regions". Federal Government of Belgium. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
- Iris, fête de l' , in : Dictionnaire d'histoire de Bruxelles, Collection Dictionnaires, Éditions Prosopon Bruxelles, 2013, p. 431
- "Un nouveau jour de congé pour les fonctionnaires bruxellois" [A new day off for Brussels officials]. Le Soir (in French). 27 December 2018.
- "Pourquoi diable les Bruxellois font-ils la fête le 8 mai ?" [Why the devil do the Bruxellois celebrate at May 8?] (in French). RTBF. 9 May 2009.
- Rault, Jean-Pierre; Sigot, Jean (1997). La Venise Verte [Green Venice] (in French). Éditions CMD. ISBN 2-909826-50-3.
External links
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