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Event Information:
In Belgium,
New ear's Eve is called Sint Sylvester
Vooravond ("Saint Sylvester Eve") or simply
Oudjaar ("old year"). Cosy family parties,
called réveillon in the french speaking
part of Belgium, are thrown. On television,
a stand-up comedian reviews the past year
after which a musical or variety show indicates
midnight, when everyone kisses, exchanges
good luck greetings, and toasts Champagne
to the new year and to absent relatives
and friends. Many people fire off their
own fireworks, and those who don't go into
the street to watch them. Most cities have
their own fireworks display, the most famous
being at Mont des Arts in Brussels. the
Albertine Park on the Mont des Arts will
be the backdrop for the traditional New
Year's Eve fireworks. At midnight the
fireworks that will light up Brussels
will begin, the areas reserved for the
general public for this magical moment
are: Place Royale, rue Montagne de la
Cour, Place de l’Albertine and Boulevard
de l’Empereur.
Finding a
place to stay in Brussels on New Year's Eve
is easy of booked well in advance, as there
are a range of hotels, bed and breakfasts
and guesthouses to accommodate virtually
any budget. Recommended establishments include
the Hotel Metropole, Royal Windsor Hotel
Grand Place, PANTONE Design Hotel, Novotel
Brussels Centre Tour Noire, Hotel Le Plaza
and Sandton Brussels Centre.
In Belguim,
January 1 is called Nieuwjaarsdag and children
read their 'new year's letter' and give
holiday greeting cards featuring golden
cherubs and angels, colored roses and ribbon-tied
garlands to parents and godparents, on decorated
paper which they saved money to buy. Belgian
farmers also wish their animals a happy
New Year for blessings. The Kunstberg or
Mont des Arts, meaning "hill/mountain of
the arts", is a historic site in the center
of Brussels, Belgium.
The showcase
square was created for the Universal Exposition
held in Brussels in 1910. It featured a
park and a monumental staircase with cascading
fountains descending the gentle slope from
Place Royale down to Boulevard de l'Empereur/Keizerslaan.
The original square was destroyed during
the post-war construction frenzy known as
Brusselization; between 1954 and 1965, the
square and its surroundings gave way to
massive, severely geometric postmodern structures
such as the Royal Library of Belgium and
the Congress Palace.
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