Processional giants and dragons in Belgium and France

Processional giants and dragons in Belgium and France
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
Ducasse de Mons
Country	Belgium and France
Reference	00153
Region	Europe and North America
Inscription history
Inscription	2008 (3rd session)
List	Representative

The processional giants and dragons (French: Géants et dragons processionnels) of Belgium and France are a set of folkloric manifestations involving processional giants, which have been inscribed by UNESCO on the lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2008, originally proclaimed in November 2005.^[1]

Through these festivals and their giants, this concerns the set of gigantic manifestations specific to each country. In the case of Belgium, these are the festivities of Dendermonde (Ommegang van Dendermonde), Mechelen (Ommegang van Mechelen), Mons (the Ducasse de Mons, and the fight which is named the "Lumeçon"), Ath (the Ducasse d'Ath) and Brussels (the Meyboom). For France, these are the feasts at Douai (feasts of Gayant) and Cassel (carnival) and the totemic animals and their celebrations in Tarascon and Pézenas (Mardi Gras, inauguration of the Mirondela dels Arts on the first Sunday in July).

This proclamation allows for a valorisation of these popular festivals and their protection.