Happy Meyboom!

Today is the day of the Mayboom planting, a delightfully odd tradition born from a dispute over the taxation of beer in the 13th century. Each year, a parade of giants, marching bands, ceremonial soldiers, and a large birch tree make their way into the Grand Place with much pomp and ceremony. Afterwards, the tree is carried through the city until it is planted.

I spent a good while figuring out when and where it actually started, and then decided to just get a good spot in the Grand place to watch the finale.

The branches and leaves are distributed to the crowd and along the route, primarily to women and girls. Happy Meyboom :)Read more