A STRANGE BELGIAN NATIONAL DAY

Each 21 of July Belgium celebrates its National day. The Belgians in this way commemorate the oath made on July 21, 1831 by Léopold I, first King of the Belgians, to remain faithful to the constitution. I have to add that if you ask 10 people on the street 9 wouldn't know why. Only  few houses have a flag only the official once. But apart from that it usually is a very cheerful celebration where beer is flowing. Besides the entire royal family who watches the parade, there is less and less military things but more to safe human lives. It is followed by a huge ball in the royal park where even King and Queen say hello to the people. Each municipality of Brussels has it's own 21st July and in the center on a huge place where usually the flea market takes place is transformed to a restaurant where Brussels typical food is served.

But this year everything was different. Due to the terrible flooding the National day was reduced to a minimum. Not all royals were there, the parade was minim, no ball in the park no firework no festivities at all, everyting was cancelled, except the restaurant because the collected money was for the flooding victims. So the day went by without a soul on the streets, no dancing strictly nothing. Lots of soldiers and the firemen preferred to help the disaster victims to clean up rubble and still look for bodies, instead of participating in the parade. The fact that the airforce was overflowing Brussels was very much critisized, because it costs a lot and this money could have helped the poor people who had lost everything.

Brussels mussels !

The royal family. The girl in red will be the next Queen and follow her father the actual King Philip. She is very much appreciated and actually is trained as a soldier.

 

The surroundings were closed, no spectators were allowed. So we saw  people who climbed on trees or laterns to have a glimpse..

 

The place transformed into a huge restaurant

and the disaster

So far there are more than 135 dead and more than 80 missing, unfortunately these numbers may increase.

Such a disaster has never happened in Belgium there were floodings but never to this extent. It is a little country with only 11.500.000 inhabitants

The day went by like all the others, we only saw the "celebrations" on TV and of course it was a day off !