Jul 21, 2019
Belgium National Day 2019
This Doodle’s Key Themes
On this day in 1831, King Leopold I took the oath as the first king of the Belgians at the Royal Palace in Brussels, signaling Belgium’s emergence as a sovereign state as distinct from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. Today’s Doodle celebrates Belgium’s National Day, a commemoration of that historic event.
The Belgian flag, with its tricolor stripes representing the red lion of Hainaut, Limburg, and Luxembourg, the yellow lion of Brabant, and the black lion of Flanders and Namur, will be displayed. Cooked in wine or beer broth, North Sea mussels served with fries are well-loved amongst many Belgians, who use an empty shell to pick out the tasty mollusks.
Festivities begin a day early with a concert by the National Orchestra of Belgium at BOZAR, the Center for Fine Arts in Brussels. That same evening, a National Ball takes place in the capital city’s historic Marolles district.
The Belgian Royal Family starts National Day by attending a special service at the Cathedral of Saint Michael and Saint Gudula. At prominent public buildings like the Palace of Justice and European Parliament, there are cultural events and family-friendly activities, as well as a parade featuring military and emergency services followed by a night-time fireworks spectacular.
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