{"id":13118,"date":"2023-05-31T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-31T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=13118"},"modified":"2023-06-01T06:49:32","modified_gmt":"2023-06-01T06:49:32","slug":"mons-prepares-to-celebrate-doudou","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=13118","title":{"rendered":"Mons prepares to celebrate \u2018Doudou\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n Thousands of people try to grab hairs of the dragon, which supposedly brings luck, during the battle known as Lume\u00e7on May 27, 2018 in Mons, Belgium. (U.S. Army photo by Christophe Morel)
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MONS, Belgium \u2013 From May 31 to June 6, 2023, hundreds of thousands of people are expected to participate in the Ducasse de Mons, or \u201cDoudou,\u201d a popular annual event that takes place in the city of Mons.<\/p>\n

UNESCO recognized the Doudou celebration in 2005 as a “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.” The most anticipated part of the event will be \u201cTrinity Weekend,\u201d during which the public will pay tribute to St. Waudru (or Waltrude), the patron saint of the city, and will participate in a battle known as the Lume\u00e7on<\/em>.<\/p>\n

A festival atmosphere gradually grows in Mons throughout Trinity Weekend. On Friday, June 2, there will be a grand opening concert beginning 9 p.m. at the Grand Place with multiple musical performances.<\/p>\n

On Saturday, June 3, starting at 8 p.m., there will be a ceremony in the Collegiate Church, called La Descente de la ch\u00e2sse de Sainte Waudru<\/em>, during which the dean of the church entrusts the relics of St. Waudru to the city\u2019s mayor. At the end of the ceremony, all participants sing the song of the Doudou. A torchlight procession, called la Retraite aux Flambeaux<\/em>, will start at 10 p.m. at the bottom of Rue de Nimy.<\/p>\n

On Sunday, June 4, the traditional procession, called la Procession du Car d\u2019Or<\/em>, will start at 9:30 a.m. from the Collegiate Church, followed by la Mont\u00e9e du Car d\u2019Or <\/em>at noon during which festival-goers help push the carriage to make it climb the hill of St. Waudru.<\/p>\n

At 12:30 p.m., St. George will fight the dragon on the Grand Place during the Lume\u00e7on<\/em>. He will be accompanied by other individuals performing various roles, including the Devils, the Chin-chins, the men in white, the leaf men, the firemen and the policemen. The combat lasts about a half hour, accompanied by the sounds of the\u202fDoudou\u202fmusic. During the fight, thousands of people try to grab hair from the dragon\u2019s tail, due to it supposedly bringing good luck. At the end of the Lume\u00e7on<\/em>, after a few attempts, St. George will finally kill the dragon with a pistol shot, and the bells of Mons will begin playing. The festivities will then continue with musical entertainment.<\/p>\n

Following the Trinity Weekend, concerts and other events will continue throughout the city as the Doudou slowly winds down. The largest of these events is the fourth Doudou Sound Party, which will occur Monday, June 5, at the Grand Place beginning at 8:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

A firework display will also take place on Tuesday, June 6, at 10:45 p.m. from Rue de Nimy.<\/p>\n

While the main Ducasse de Mons finishes on June 6, a smaller Petit Lume\u00e7on<\/em>, or children\u2019s version of the Lume\u00e7on <\/em>will take place the following weekend on June 10 and 11. It will follow many of the same steps as the full-scale Lume\u00e7on, including a character procession from the Collegiate Church on Saturday, June 10, at 5:45 p.m. and the Petit Lume\u00e7on<\/em> fight on Sunday, June 11, at 12:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

During Doudou, some of the traffic patterns in downtown Mons will be changed and some streets and parking areas will be blocked to traffic. Safety devices and barricades will also be set up throughout the city to ensure the safety of everyone and allow the festivities to run smoothly.<\/p>\n

Due to the traffic changes and anticipated crowds, arriving by train is recommended if you plan to visit during this time. Free parking will also be available for visitors at the Grand Large (with free shuttles), the Lotto Mons Expo (with free shuttles), in the parking at Saint-Fiacre (at the intersection of Chauss\u00e9e du Roeulx and Chauss\u00e9e de Binche), in the Parking Damoiseaux, and on the road at Pont Rouge-Avenue des Gu\u00e9rites.<\/p>\n

Please remember that some parking areas will close at night.<\/p>\n

Some of the impacted streets include:<\/p>\n