| Added by |
 Bart Perdieus
|
| General Description : | The carnival of Binche is an event that takes place each year in the Belgian town of Binche during the Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday preceding Ash Wednesday. The carnival is the best known of several that take place in Belgium at the same time and has been proclaimed as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity listed by UNESCO. The centrepiece of the carnival's proceedings are clown-like performers known as Gilles. Appearing, for the most part, on Shrove Tuesday, the Gilles are characterised by their vibrant dress, wax masks and wooden footwear. They number up to 1,000 at any given time, range in age from 3 to 60 years old, and are customarily male. The honour of being a Gille at the carnival is something that is aspired to by local men. From dawn on the morning of the carnival's final day, Gilles appear in the centre of Binche, to dance to the sound of drums and ward off evil spirits with sticks. Later during the day, they don large hats adorned with ostrich plumes, which can cost more than $300 US dollars to rent, and march through the town with baskets of oranges. These oranges are thrown to, and sometimes at, members of the crowd gathered to view the procession. The vigour and longevity of the orange-throwing event has in past caused damage to property – some residents choose to seal windows to prevent this. The oranges are considered good luck because they are a gift from the Gilles and it is an insult to throw them back. |
| Face value | 34 + 6 Francs |
| Catalog code (Michel) | BE BL64 |
| Catalog code (Scott) | BE B1120 |
| Catalog code | Yvert et Tellier BE BF70 Stanley Gibbons BE MS3251 Belgium BE BL70 Unificato BE BF70 |
| Stamp colour | multicolor |
| Stamp use | Souvenir Sheet |
| Print run | 514.990 |
| Issue date | 28/01/1995 |
| Designer | Jacques Doppée |
| Print technique | photogravure |
| Perforation | comb 11½ |
| Height | 90.00 mm |
| Width | 125.00 mm |
| Catalog prices | No catalog prices set yet |
