60,000 people take part in Ducasse de Mons

Around 60,000 people took part on Sunday morning in the Ducasse de Mons – or Doudou – a popular festival in Mons dating from the Middle Ages which culminates in a fight between Saint-George (good) and the dragon (evil). Since 2005 the fight and the procession of the Car d’Or which precedes it have been recognised as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible History of Humanity by UNESCO.

According to tradition, the dragon is supported in his fight against George by ‘devils’, ‘white men’ and ‘leaf men’. They were also accompanied this year by firemen and policemen. More than 1,600 people in costume joined in the 2014 procession.

By way of commemorating the centenary of the First World War, this year also saw a group representing the ‘Angels of Mons’ along  with bagpipers accompany the procession. Legend has it that the British forces managed to escape from the Germans and beat a retreat on August  23, 1914 when the Angels of Mons appeared in the sky.

The Ducasse de Mons’ guests of honour in 2014 included the Mayor of Mons and Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo and the Minister-President of Flanders Kris Peeters.

The fight may be over – George shot the dragon as expected with a pistol on Sunday – but the Ducasse de Mons festivities continue today, June 16, and tomorrow.