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DOUDOU 2009

The Ducasse de Mons or Doudou is a popular festival that happens every year during the Trinity Sunday (57 days after Easter) in the town of Mons in Belgium. It is recognized as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity since November 2005. The feast comprises two important parts:
* The procession, the descent and the uprising of the Waltrude.s Shrine.
* The combat of Saint George named Lumecon

La Ducasse de Mons est une fete locale basee sur des traditions ancestrales reconnue au patrimoine oral et immateriel de l'humanite qui a lieu tous les ans a Mons en Belgique, ville situee dans la province de Hainaut (Region wallonne). On l'appelle souvent le Doudou, d'apres le nom d'un air traditionnel que l'on joue durant les festivites notamment par La Musique du Lumecon. Le bourgmestre, Elio Di Rupo, et l'ASBL Saint-Georges de Mons ont fait evoluer le nom traditionnel Ducasse de Mons en Doudou, Ducasse rituelle de Mons, s'attirant les foudres de certains Montois cayaux, originaires de Mons depuis trois generations au moins. Chaque annee, a la Trinite, le coeur des Montois est a la fete. La Ducasse est une fete traditionnelle composee de trois temps forts appeles moments communiels: la descente de la chasse des reliques de Madame sainte Waudru (fondatrice mythique de la cite), la remontee du Car d'Or et le combat dit Lumecon.

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n20090613--n20051013_183558.jpg St Wuadru - Collegiale - Church Sankt Waltraud von Matthijs de Layens	n20090613--n20051013_183723.jpg Car d Or gilded wooden carriage annual procession	n20090613--n20051013_184355.jpg Fontane Pilori 1779 blue stone fountain Ouvertus - Mons Bergen Mont Hainaut
n20090613--n20051013_184630.jpg Belfry Belfourt - the only Baroque-style clock tower in Belgium	n20090613--n20051013_192152.jpg Drinks in the Grand Place at l'Exception and l'Excelsior	n20090613--n20051013_203832.jpg the youth storms and races on the central market place
n20090613--n20051013_203950.jpg great crowd of party people celebrating doudou 2009	n20090613--n20051013_204224.jpg l'homme bien - huge festival crowd - world heritage tradition	n20090613--n20051013_205405.jpg red T-shirt with woderful typeface lettering design of Dragon
n20090613--n20051013_211244.jpg US american military band playing music for the masses	n20090613--n20051013_214411.jpg pub band playing classic hits top40 evergreens	n20090613--n20051013_215032.jpg doudoubook 1 demande une liste d'amis - Le Dragon 90000 en commun
n20090613--n20051013_215230.jpg Torch bearers start octave on Saturday before Trinity Sunday - Fackeltraeger	n20090613--n20051013_215320.jpg police restrains -- young men are pushing - polizeicordon	n20090613--n20051013_215700.jpg usA army band in fatigues in band rondell - go home sweet alabama
n20090613--n20051013_215853.jpg trinkets salesman with aldi plastic bag - toys schnuller blinking LED sunglasses	n20090613--n20051013_224141.jpg phantastique design draggon t-shirt motif	n20090613--n20051013_224154.jpg Doudou 2005 black tshirt dessin
n20090613--n20051013_224454.jpg big Lebowski t-shirt Coen Bros movie He peed on the Dude's rug	n20090613--n20051013_224731.jpg doudou l'mama l'poupee margritte trousse gambon carillion ducasse infante	n20090613--n20051013_225827.jpg America inflated Spongebob and neuschwanstein fairy tale castle disney snowwhite bambi grimm
n20090613--n20051013_231356.jpg L'Atelier best pub, music, party until 4am	n20090613--n20051013_234324.jpg interior L'Atelier	n20090613--n20051013_234730.jpg I love doudou with jeevee le sud notaire goyer
n20090613--n20051013_234733.jpg rare female t-shirt writing - please, all women enjoy dessert	n20090614--n20051014_004824.jpg mon reve vendre des fleurs canards et des lots de peche aux en rue	n20090614--n20051014_010904.jpg blue illuminated tower at belfour mons - youth hostel jeunesse
n20090614--n20051014_010926.jpg Jupiler at hostelling international auberge de jeunesse de mons Feuillien	n20090614--n20051014_011026.jpg Suck it - bad taste fellatio t-shirt	n20090614--n20051014_011902.jpg Verdur 97 rock je suis chez moi home zuhause stella casa
n20090614--n20051014_020014.jpg public pissoir - four berth standing up male urinal	n20090614--n20051014_095729.jpg Unesco Wallone Beffroi monument classe	n20090614--n20051014_095816.jpg traditional costumes - girls with flowers
n20090614--n20051014_100835.jpg magic christian power superstition abbess with cross and bible	n20090614--n20051014_101058.jpg presenting the dragon on the way to downtown	n20090614--n20051014_101105.jpg Efeumaenner - Hommes de feuilles - Leaf men
n20090614--n20051014_101113.jpg Les diables - devils - Chinchins dogs before the Lumecon fight	n20090614--n20051014_101129.jpg Chinchin - traditionelle Hunde	n20090614--n20051014_101133.jpg Saint Georges - the hero arrives
n20090614--n20051014_101337.jpg Traditionalle uniform and golden helmet	n20090614--n20051014_101544.jpg green white girls - virgins no doubt	n20090614--n20051014_101746.jpg Starsky et Hutch version soviet Trabant rouge - t-shirt
n20090614--n20051014_101937.jpg Ton angler - sound recordist wind protection fell windschutz mikrofonangel	n20090614--n20051014_105508.jpg commotion - devils swing pig bladders - young men excitment	n20090614--n20051014_105526.jpg white men Hommes blancs displace the dragon
n20090614--n20051014_105535.jpg leaf men - Hommes de feuilles - covered with real leaves of ivy - supporting tail	n20090614--n20051014_110519.jpg tes doudouettes stream towards the grand place for the Lumecon fight	n20090614--n20051014_110737.jpg figurines characters medieval play since 1349 Casteau shrine Vincent Madelgarus plague procession
n20090614--n20051014_111326.jpg fascinating action feast best watched on TV - combat between Saint George and Dragon	n20090614--n20051014_111717.jpg St Georg und der Drache - mittelalterliches schauspiel in Belgien	n20090614--n20051014_113137.jpg the game combat de saint Georges contre le dragon - Ducasse apogee

n20090614--n20051014_113152.jpg drinking police on watch ancient rite	n20090614--n20051014_113201.jpg St George cheval noir - Frederic Tournay - dragon shot 2 pistols deux pistolets	n20090614--n20051014_115846.jpg kiwi new zealander with friend of solvay 2006-2007
n20090614--n20051014_115955.jpg people collect horse hair mane for one year of good luck	n20090614--n20051014_120031.jpg Greenpils halte au massacres des dragons doudou 1996	n20090614--n20051014_120048.jpg Dragon pins on uniform
n20090614--n20051014_120114.jpg Sainct George on the black horse in front of the town hall	n20090614--n20051014_121530.jpg Le Central pub standard issue ducasse 2009 shirt design	n20090614--n20051014_121533.jpg creative Judo Dragon t-shirt design
n20090614--n20051014_122121.jpg Ne touch -- doudou button with hair from the tail of the dragon	n20090614--n20051014_123254.jpg Mon premier doudou hat for the young baby	n20090614--n20051014_123627.jpg Theatre Royal de Wallonie Montien and baloons
n20090614--n20051014_123632.jpg balloon mishaps and dragon puppet souvenirs	n20090614--n20051014_123810.jpg Le petit Lumacon sur la grandplace	n20090614--n20051014_125022.jpg party of drinking and eating people
n20090614--n20051014_125821.jpg Doudou t-shirt artistic	n20090614--n20051014_125825.jpg Doudoudasse 2009 belfroi design with dragon tail hair descending on crowd	n20090614--n20051014_125922.jpg Le clan de combattants - reptile eye t-shirt design lotr
n20090614--n20051014_130311.jpg vendors of 5 euro white-red paraphenalia	n20090614--n20051014_131717.jpg Je ne sais plus a quel saint me vouer - st pier - cartoon t-shirt	n20090614--n20051014_131949.jpg deu diables - two devils with pig bladders on sticks

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The feast begins from the Saturday before Trinity Sunday to the next Sunday. As an eight-day festival with a specific liturgy, it can be called an octave.
The game of Waltrude
The descent of the shrine happens on the Saturday evening. During a religious ceremony, the shrine is taken down from its Altar. The Priest gives the shrine (kept all the year in the collegiate) to the town authorities for the duration of the feast. After this moment, a procession with torches begins in the streets of the town.
On the morning of Trinity Sunday, the shrine is placed on the Car d.or, which is a gilded dray, and the procession begins. The car d.or is pulled through the streets by draft horses. The dray is accompanied by several guilds that represent the history of the region. At the end of the trail, the car d.or has to climb a steep, cobblestoned street named Rampe Sainte-Waudru. To help the horses with the immense weight, hundreds of people push the dray. Legend says that if the dray doesn't climb the street, the city will have great misfortune. This happened in 1803, due to the French Revolution, and in 1914 and 1940, due to the First and Second World Wars.
After one week of festivities, the authorities of the town give back the shrine to the priest of the collegiate. The shrine is replaced on its Altar, which is why it is called the ascent of the shrine.
The game of Saint George
This game is played on the Trinity Sunday between 12.30 pm and 1.00 pm. It represents the fight between Saint George (the good) and the dragon (the evil). The fight is called Lumeçon. This name comes from the old French name Limaçon (old French name meaning a spectacle with horses that made circulars movements.) The combat happens on the central square of Mons. The length of the dragon is about 10 meters. The end of his tail is covered with horses' hairs (mane). The dragon is displaced with the help of the white men (fr:Hommes blancs). Saint George is protected by the Chinchins who represent dogs. The dragon is helped by the devils (French: Les diables). Each devil is armed with a cow bladder full of air (the balloon in the past before plastic had been developed). With this weapon, they knock the Chinchins and the public that are placed all around the arena. The dragon fights Saint George by giving Tail attacks. The dragon gives also tail attacks in the public. So, the public is also an important participant in the fight! People try to take the mane of the tail because it gives luck for one year long. Finally, there are also the Leaf men (fr:Hommes de feuilles) that are covered with real leaves of ivy. They help the dragon by defending and supporting his tail. The combat is a high precision choreography. Saint George on his horse turns clockwise. And the dragon turns in the other direction. (This is a reference between the good against the evil). Saint George tries to kill the dragon with his lance but the lance always broke on the contact of the dragon's skin. Saint George uses a pistol and finally kills the dragon on the third try. It is 1 p.m., the participants leave the square, people rush in the arena to find the last lucky manes which have fallen on the ground. And the carillon of Mons rings.
Other information

* A big concert is organised the Friday evening before Trinity on the central square of Mons.
* Military bands from all over the world play concerts every day in Mons.
* A braderie (street clearance sale) is organized on Monday.
* Another combat is organized on Wednesday. The combat is reserved for the children (Public and actors). The dragon is lighter than the original.
* The streets of the center of the town are a pedestrian zone during the festivities. These streets are full of people listening to music, eating Belgian fries, barbecue, and drinking a lot of Belgian beer and soda.