European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 11, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                By John Millar it was easy to see there was a party going on in the town of Binone Belgium even before the party could be seen. Virtually every door window and Street lamp was covered with makeshift wooden frames wrapped with Chicken wire. An alarming number of ambulances raced but of the Center of town with sirens blaring and lights flashing. There was also a sea of humanity filling the streets singing dancing drinking and joking. Every year More than 100,000 people descend on the sleepy Little town of Binche known As Belgium s capital of carnival for its traditional end of Winter Celebration. And by the end of the three Day event a few windows Are broken a few More people Are sped to outlying medical facilities after. Succumbing to massive doses of alcohol and thousands More have the time of their lives. What s left of the town is covered in a gooey mixture of confetti shaving Cream Champagne and a Sticky Reddish purple pulp. It s always the same said Binche police officer Jacky Martens. Every year they come to celebrate the return of summer. They come Back to the  the reasons Why so Many people return to the carnival in Binche every year Are As varied As their backgrounds but it seems All who visit the town s festival do it out of some kind of tradition. The carnival in Binche is popular in part because the town s Celebration is As unique As it is colourful. Since the first recorded history of the town s Celebration in the year 1120, Binche party traditions have gone almost unchanged. The event features marchers called Gilles who Don different traditional costumes for each of the three Days and sometimes change outfits twice a Day. The Linal Day of carnival in Binche is said to be the most colourful and exciting. It starts with the costumed marchers parading through the town in groups of about 50. They Wear identical clothing which includes masks belts adorned with Large Bells and wooden clogs. Each group moves throughout the town while dancing a Jig of sorts with participants keeping time with drummers who follow them. During the dance through town each group pays a visit to the town Hall with clogs clacking Bells ringing and Drums beating an almost deafening Din. The boat of the. Clogs on  s Cobblestone streets As Well As that of the Drums is infectious and most bystanders find themselves Bobbing tip and Down in rhythm with festival goers Wear identical clothing which includes masks belts adorned with Large Bells and wooden dogs although it s considered an Honor to participate in the event As a Gille to do so is no cakewalk said Binche resident Delphine reverse. Those who Don the costumes and dance the streets cannot eat sit or smoke while in their party uniforms she said they must also dance the Jig in their clogs everywhere they go while in costume. Later in the Day the Gilles Trade their masks for huge White feathered headdresses and baskets of blood oranges. Martens the policeman said the oranges Are offered to the people of the town and explained that the giving of the fruit was the reason behind the covered windows and outdoor Light fixtures. All the Chicken wire seems a bit Over cautious at first As the Gilles spend several hours gently tossing or handing the oranges to youngsters and the elderly As they dance about town. But then the costumed marchers begin a ritual As bizarre As their feathered hats. Several hours before Sunset each group of Gilles make their Way to the main Street that leads to the Center of town and line up in typical Parade fashion. Then armed with Wicker baskets filled with blood oranges they March to the Center of Binche pelting everything and everyone in sight. Martens said there is usually More than 1,500 fruit throwing Gilles in the Parade and each throws an average of More than 300 blood oranges. To make sure they Don t run out family and friends keep the marchers baskets full by carrying a ready Supply in Large gym bags. Oddly enough spectators enjoy the pelting and Many offer themselves As willing targets. At least one Young carnival goer was seen with a baseball Glove trying to catch As Many of the Ripe souvenirs As possible. And the Gilles Aren t completely Savage because even though they throw most of their oranges like major league baseball pitchers they still throw underhand for the very Young and elderly who line the Parade route. Needless to say walking around the town after the Parade is like walking in Sticky slush. Added to the oddity of the Observance is another tradition that of an annual pilgrimage of College and University students. The students come for the party and party they do. They can be seen everywhere wearing traditional costumes of their own leather Caps adorned with Long chains and even longer Laboratory Coats covered with Graffiti and autographs of their friends. All students in Belgium aspire to have such a hat and coat said reverse and they must do several things like drink and so on to get one. Asked How Long it took to have their Coats filled with Graffiti reverse Poming to a Friend said a Long time. It took her two  the lab Coats Are practical As Well As they help protect students clothes from Large doses of shaving Cream and Champagne which by the Way is the traditional carnival drink in Binche. Though mischievous the student revellers that Migrate to Binche Are quite harmless. Their pranks such As spraying people with shaving Cream or pressurized silly string is in fun and they tend to spend More time drinking and singing sometimes while sitting in the Middle of the Street. It s very Happy one Young visitor said about the Binche carnival. He and a Friend were wearing helmets which held two Beer bottles which they could sip via plastic tubes. It s a thing from the folklore of the country. It s a thing to  even while checking out a disturbance Martens seemed to take the madness in stride along with everyone else on hand for the festivities. At one Point during the final Day of carnival the policeman was standing near an Alley where three firetrucks and two ambulances were parked. It s nothing he said when asked what was happening. About a Block away a Young Man was being loaded onto a Stretcher after apparently passing out from Over indulging in alcohol. Fellow students smiled and Shook their Heads As he was loaded into an ambulance. Martens said Many problems arise during carnival but Many More Are avoided with  and the Orange pulp mess could be a lot worse. The real tradition was to throw meat he said. Former stars and a Tripos staff writer John Millar has returned to the states. O belgian town wakes up when it s time to party o o o 4 stripes Magazine february 11, 1993