To celebrate the 400th anniversary of « ketje », the Royal Mint of Belgium has hit the 2,5 euros coin « 400 years of Manneken Pis ». The Royal Mint of Belgium has unveiled this afternoon the commemorative coin at Brussels City Hall. The piece was presented by Alexander De Croo.

The 2,5 euros coin is minted in Brilliant Universal quality, supplied with a colourful pouch and drawn to a maximum of 120,000 copies. This collector’s item is also a legal means of payment, but will not be put into circulation.

Coin collectors, Manneken Pis fans and anyone who appreciates this national celebrity can order the coin at www.piecescommemoratives.be. Two versions will be available, with the obverse in French and Dutch.

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But what of his little sister?

The Jeanneke Pis, a bronze of a small naked girl squatting to pee, is situated in Impasse de la Fidélité just a three-minute walk from Grand Place, on the north-east side. Standing 50cm tall on a limestone base, she was designed and commissioned in 1985 by Denis Adrien Debouvrie. Known as the Godfather of the city’s centre, millionaire Debrouvie owned several nearby premises and had a vested interest in creating an attraction in the narrow alleyways the Jeanneke calls home. Debouvrie had his throat cut in 2008, in a case that continues to cause speculation, leaving a vast estate of prime but neglected property.

The Jeanneke Pis remains strangely little-known compared to her male counterpart. Whether this is because she’s perceived as a modern commercial creation, because she’s stuck behind protective bars up a dead-end alley, or because of associations with her creator’s dark fate, is anyone’s guess. Her brother has the advantage of centuries of history and is supposedly a symbol of the rebellious spirit of Brussels. Somehow though, the Jeanneke is more gloriously subversive.

The Manneken Pis, with his weirdly muscular arms, one hand casually on his hip, pot-belly, and angelic curls is clearly modelled on Cupid and does not really resemble a child at all. The Jeanneke, in contrast, is wonderfully life-like. Her hair in cheeky pig-tails, her hands on her knees, she’s doing something most women will have yearned to do at some point – and her blithe, satisfied smile says it all.

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Milk is an important source of income for these farmers, according to Vétérinaires sans frontières. According to the NGO, 60% of the population of West Africa lives off livestock and agriculture. Animals such as cows and goats provide milk, fertiliser, and income.

“Milk is one of the few sources of protein for disadvantaged families in rural Africa. A lack of milk leads to malnutrition. Milk therefore plays an essential role in the fight against famine and poverty. In dry and desert areas, livestock farming is often the only way to survive,” said Josti Gadeyne, the organisation’s spokesperson.

While a Belgian cow produces an average of 25 to 35 litres of milk per day, an African cow produces 2 to 3 litres at best. During the dry season, they even produce less than 1 litre due to a lack of water, grass and animal care.

“The little milk that West African farmers can sell earns them almost nothing. European milk surpluses are flooding and disrupting the local market. It is not even real milk, but skimmed milk powder, fortified with virtually everything except sustainable palm oil. This milk is three times cheaper than that of local farmers. If the European Union continues to get rid of its milk surpluses in West Africa, it will push local farmers even further into poverty,” said Ms Gadeyne.

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January 4th is World Braille Day, the writing system set up by Louis Braille to enable blind people to read.

Blind and partially blind people have since opened up to the world thanks to this system, which is also changing with the times, especially on computers and smartphones. Manneken Pis became Louis Braille with his guide dog to raise awareness about the blind and visually impaired.

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Just a day after Christmas, runners gathered for a Christmas jog of 4 to 8 km in the streets of central Brussels.

After the start at the Spanjeplein, the runners passed by, in one or two loops, a number of remarkable places in the capital such as the Martelarenplein, the prestigious Koninginnegalerij, the Nieuwstraat or the Grote Markt, before they greeted the Manneken-Pis, which was specially dressed for this occasion.

The runners took over the city with their attention-grabbing red t-shirts and Christmas hats for more than 2 hours. They were greeted with mulled wine and tea upon arrival in the city center.

Since  the 9th edition was a great success, a 10th edition is to be expected in 2019 between Christmas and New Year.

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The symbol of Brussels folklore will be honoring Albania on the occasion of their national holiday.

Background Information

Albania proclaimed its independence on the 28th of November, 1912 in the town of Vlora (Vlorë). After 50 decades of Ottoman domination, an independent Albania was declared by Ismail Qemali, who was the first head of state.

This day coincides with the day on which Skanderbeg (Skënderbeu) raised the Albanian flag in Krujë (1443).

The 28th of November is celebrated annually as Albania’s Flag Day (Dita e Flamurit) or Independence Day (Dita e Pavarësisë). It only makes sense that this historic public holiday is celebrated by the ceremonial raise of the flag in Tirana, Albania’s capital, with the presence of all public authorities. Oblivious of the cold temperatures every year Albanians flood the main square wrapped up in flags to take part in celebrations and activities.

As with every other major holiday, the peeing boy of Brussels will wear his costume of Albania from 9 am to 4 pm.

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The Manneken-Pis is also called the Little Julien.

His statue is visible 24/7 at the intersection of rue de l’Etuve and rue du Chêne a few steps from the Grand-Place.

You may greet him at 14h.

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The post Manneken-Pis will be peeing beer in honor of ULB/VUB students appeared first on Brussels Express.

It’s 9 o’clock on a Saturday morning at the corner of Rue de l’Étuve and Rue de Chêne where the legendary statue of the Manneken Pis stands.

While the rest of the city may still be reeling from a hangover after a Friday night of drinking, tourists are already milling around Brussels’ notorious peeing boy.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a man approaches the iron railing enclosing the statue and enters through its small gate. He is one of only a handful of people allowed to come near the Manneken Pis.

The back of his black jacket displays an image of the Manneken Pis, and the words: Official Dresser. A few tourists react. “Official dresser?” “Seriously?” 

Yes, seriously. The 55-centimeter statue has an official dresser. Did you think that anyone can just go and suit up the little guy? Oh no.

By virtue of an act passed in 1755, the City of Brussels officially appoints a person who alone has the authority to adorn the Manneken Pis. The title was first given to a man named Henri Wauters.

At present, the official dresser of the Manneken Pis is Nicolas Edelman. He is the 13th person to occupy the post since the 18th century.

While the official dresser is commonly appointed, Nicolas volunteered for the job in 2014 while working at Brussels City’s Department of Culture.

“I love this job. The Manneken Pis is a very important symbol of Brussels and Belgium. He also represents everyone, every association, all nationalities, “ says Edelman with pride.

The job requires getting up early or working until late, rain or shine, weekday or weekend to dress and undress the Manneken Pis according to a given schedule.

Every year, Brussels City’s cultural department draws up an official calendar marking about 130 occasions for dressing the statue. As the official dresser, it is Edelman’s duty to implement this calendar.

Costumes are donated by individuals, groups, associations, and even countries. But they must first be approved by city officials based on certain conditions. The material used must be of good quality and the statue must not be used for political, commercial, and religious purposes.

The official dresser has to make sure that costume donors comply with specific instructions for designing a costume. Days before the dressing ceremony, Edelman has to try each costume on a replica of the Manneken Pis in his office.

If the costume fits, Edelman puts it on the statue located on Rue de l’Étuve on the assigned day. Sounds easy enough, but the official dresser says it’s not all that simple.

You can’t dress the Manneken Pis the way you would dress any ordinary child since his arms are fixed to his waist, his feet are attached to a base, and his back has a tube through which the water flows. A bit of practice is necessary.

All costumes worn by the statue are automatically added to the wardrobe collection of the Manneken Pis at the end of the day. Most of them are kept in the Brussels City museum while some are displayed at the GardeRobe MannekenPis gallery located on Rue de Chêne.

To date, the Manneken Pis has more than one thousand costumes in record. He may very well be the only statue in the world to possess such an extensive supply of outfits, and a designated wardrobe assistant at his disposal.

Of the entire collection, Edelman cites two favorites. “First is Saint Nicholas because my name is Nicolas. It’s also funny to imagine Saint Nicholas, a big and important man, pissing on the street,” Edelman laughs. “The other one is the costume of the Diable Rouge because this is a symbol of unity in Belgium.”

What Edelman loves the most about his job is being able to interact regularly with tourists and fans of the Manneken Pis. He even puts on a little show for them when he performs his task. “Sometimes I splash some water on the public just for fun.”

One of Edelman’s unforgettable experiences as a dresser was when he met world-famous fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier who created a costume for the Manneken Pis for the 20th anniversary of the Brussels’ gay pride festival in 2015.

“He was afraid because he thought he had to dress the Manneken Pis himself. He said to me, how can I do that? He will piss on me. And I told him don’t worry, I am the official dresser, I will do that,” Edelman recounts.

There is no term limit for official dressers of the Manneken Pis. Some of them even held onto the job for decades. 

Edelman himself has no plans of retiring any time soon. The 37-year old habilleur says he will probably resign only when he already has children. For now, the Manneken Pis is his only baby.

“I’m sure inside the Manneken Pis, there’s a little heart that beats. For me, he’s not just a statue or a thing. He is alive for me and I see him as a person. I know it’s a statue and I’m not crazy, but he is real to me, » says the only person who currently has the right and the privilege to dress the darling boy of Brussels.

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In June 1985, Harlem Désir and many personalities, including famous artists, launched the slogan and the logo « Do not touch my friend ». The effect of this campaign is still felt today in respect of differences.

In the same spirit and with the same positive and united enthusiasm, women and men concerned about the fight against sexual violence against women, launched a great campaign wecare.cool which uses a pin and a poster inspired by Nikos Aliagas’ photographic work.

These pins portray the look of a young girl who is vulnerable to the world and as such inspires us to provide a more supportive look. The aim is to change our attitude towards women and become more respectful.

Associations, youth groups, students, teachers, media, merchants and concerned citizens are invited to purchase the pin and also resell it.

Distributors can purchase a batch of at least 50 pins at a price of € 1 / pin’s

Price per piece: 2 €.

It takes 2€ to say that sexual violence against women is never to be accepted. One in three women is a victim. Do not close your eyes.

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