Gilles parade climaxes Carnival in Binche
2009-02-25 08:20:17 GMT2009-02-25 16:20:17 (Beijing Time)
Xinhua English
Masked Gilles of Binche dance during the parade of Mardi Gras (Shrove Tuesday), the last day of Carnival in Binche, about 50 km south of Brussels, capital of Belgium, Feb. 24, 2009. Binche's three-day carnival, one of most famous carnivals in Europe, reached its climax in Mardi Gras.(Xinhua/Wu Wei)
Masked Gilles of Binche talk during the parade of Mardi Gras (Shrove Tuesday), the last day of Carnival in Binche, about 50 km south of Brussels, capital of Belgium, Feb. 24, 2009. Binche's three-day carnival, one of most famous carnivals in Europe, reached its climax in Mardi Gras.(Xinhua/Wu Wei)
A Gille of Binche takes off the mask during the parade of Mardi Gras (Shrove Tuesday), the last day of Carnival in Binche, about 50 km south of Brussels, capital of Belgium, Feb. 24, 2009. Binche's three-day carnival, one of most famous carnivals in Europe, reached its climax in Mardi Gras.(Xinhua/Wu Wei)
Gilles of Binche with plume hat joke with each other during the parade of Mardi Gras (Shrove Tuesday), the last day of Carnival in Binche, about 50 km south of Brussels, capital of Belgium, Feb. 24, 2009. Binche's three-day carnival, one of most famous carnivals in Europe, reached its climax in Mardi Gras.(Xinhua/Wu Wei)
Children with carnival costumes throw oranges during the parade of Mardi Gras (Shrove Tuesday), the last day of Carnival in Binche, about 50 km south of Brussels, capital of Belgium, Feb. 24, 2009. Binche's three-day carnival, one of most famous carnivals in Europe, reached its climax in Mardi Gras.(Xinhua/Wu Wei)
The Carnival of Binche is an event that takes place each year in the Belgian town of Binche.
Each year, it is renowned for attracting an increasing number of people to Binche and Belgium itself, but it, in particular, attracts many visitors from France. As such, it provides an important tourism source for Belgium and specifically the town of Binche.
The carnival is religious in several ways, for it ends just one day before Ash Wednesday, and a collection is taken on the last day of the Carnival, so it is a quite Catholic religious event.