The Iris Festival is the annual and official celebration of the Brussels-Capital Region in Belgium. It takes place on 8 May[1][2] and is a day off for Brussels officials.[3]
The date of 8 May was chosen for three reasons: it takes place during the flowering period of the yellow iris—also called flower of Lys—which is the symbol of the region and is pictured on its flag;[4][5] it is the day of the victory against Nazi Germany during World War II;[4] and it is also one of the feasts of Saint Michael the Archangel, patron saint of the City of Brussels.
During the multi-day party, free concerts, street entertainment and all kinds of activities are organised 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 organised at the Atomium in this weekend.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "National Day and feast days of Communities and Regions". Federal Government of Belgium. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ a b "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.