Halloween Costume Party in Sept?!

Belgians can seem like a weird lot. Take for instance the capital of Brussels. Other than serving as the EU headquarters, most people regard it as boring and often it serves as a mere stopover on travelers’ itineraries making their way to vibrant Amsterdam or romantic Paris.

You’d think that having the world-renowned national symbol of Belgium here in Brussels would help,a few blocks away from the Grand Place. But what is the pride of this tiny nation? None other than the Manneken Pis (“Little Man Urinating”), a small bronze statue of a naked boy urinating into a fountain’s basin. (I’ll give you a few seconds to recover from the shock).

Manneken Pis new costume slide show

A veritable tourist trap flanked on all sides by chocolate shops, this much photographed landmark has several legends behind its origins which you can read here on Wikipedia (not that I’d put much stock in them), but my friend Luc told me that in reality, the statue was created in honor of the young boys in the 14th or 15th century who are hired to work in the leather tanning shops – their job is to piss on the leather hides contained inside the vats because this makes them softer – the secret to your Prada handbag, perhaps? Personally, I think Luc had a little too much Trappist brew at the Belgian Beer Fest.

Anyway, I figured that I might as well pop over to the Manneken Pis for a few photos, and then dash over to a pub. The tourist throngs were visible even from a distance, but as I neared the statue what caught my eye were ten or so masked revelers strutting around wearing colorful outfits more apt for a Venetian ball. Uniformed band members were resting nearby, tuning their instruments, ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice.

While I jostled with other tourists for prime photo-taking territory and somewhat managed to sneak inside the cordoned off area for press and VIPs, Luc bumped into one of the festivity’s organizers who informed him that all this hullabaloo was due to the Manneken Pis being honored with yet another new costume – to add to his bulging closet containing 800-odd outfits! So you’re telling me this guy does not have to do laundry for 2 years. Who does he think he is – the Imelda Marcos of evening wear?

Without further ado, check out the photos (and captions) in this slide show. Let’s not even get started with Jeanneke Pis, the female counterpart of the Manneken Pis…another tale for another day.

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