Ducasse de Mons

The Ducasse de Mons or Doudou is a popular festival that happens every year on Trinity Sunday (57 days after Easter) in the town of Mons in Belgium. It is recognised as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity since November 2005.

The feast comprises two important parts:

The Doudou originates in the Middle Ages. In 1349, because the city of Mons was touched by the plague, the authorities decided to organise a procession with the shrine of Waltrude. The shrine was brought to Casteau (a little village located between Mons and Soignies that has been the location of SHAPE since 1967). At the same time, the shrine of Vincent Madelgarus (husband of Waltrude) that is based in Soignies was also taken to the same place. A miracle happened and the plague disappeared after this Procession. In 1352, the date was fixed on Trinity Sunday. After 1380, the fraternity of Saint George has appeared in the procession. The reconstitution of the combat between Saint George and a Dragon took his place in the feast. Because of the ’’less religious’’ origin, the combat was excluded from the procession in the 19th century. The separation between the religious parts of the feast and the non religious began at this time.

The procession did not take place during the French revolution, in 1803 and during the two world wars.

The feast begins from the Saturday before Trinity Sunday to the next Sunday. As an eight-day festival with a specific liturgy, it can be called an octave.

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Wikipedia