What is the Ducasse de Mons?
Mons is a compact old city in the south of Belgium, built on a hill crowned by a baroque belfry. Once a year, on Trinity Sunday weekend, eight weeks after Easter, it celebrates the Ducasse de Mons, known to everyone in the city simply as the Doudou, after the song that is sung, played and hummed all weekend. The festival has been held in some form since at least the 13th century, and UNESCO recognized it in 2008 among the processional giants and dragons of Belgium and France.
The weekend has two great moments. The first is religious. On the Saturday evening, the shrine containing the relics of Saint Waltrude, the city's patron, is brought down in the collegiate church that bears her name. On Sunday morning it is placed on the Car d'Or, a gilded carriage, and carried in procession through the city. At the end, hundreds of people push and pull the heavy carriage up the steep cobbled slope back to the church. Local belief holds that if the Car d'Or fails to reach the top in one go, misfortune will strike the city, and the crowd roars it on.
The second is pure theatre. At 12:30 on the Sunday, on the Grand-Place, the Lumeçon begins: a half-hour battle between Saint George, on horseback, and a dragon about ten metres long, with a tail that sweeps over the crowd. The dragon is defended by "white men" and devils, Saint George by his men in leaves, and the crowd joins in, trying to snatch the horsehair from the dragon's tail, which brings a year of good luck. Saint George's lance always breaks, and he finally kills the dragon with a pistol shot.
What to expect
The Doudou fills Trinity Sunday weekend, with events and parties all over the city centre.
Saturday evening
The descent of the shrine
In the collegiate church of Saint Waltrude, the shrine is brought down in a ceremony, and the city's bars and squares fill for a long night of music and the Doudou song.
Sunday morning
The Car d'Or
The procession carries the shrine through the streets, followed by the climb of the Car d'Or up the steep Rampe Sainte-Waudru, pushed by hundreds of hands.
Sunday 12:30
The Lumeçon
On the Grand-Place, Saint George and the dragon fight their battle for half an hour, as the crowd surges forward to grab the dragon's tail.
The Grand-Place of Mons on the Doudou weekend
Photo by ines s. / flickr · CC BY 2.0
Planning your trip
Getting there
Mons is about an hour by train from Brussels, with frequent services, and about 90 minutes from Lille. Brussels and Charleroi airports are the nearest. The station is a short walk from the Grand-Place, up the hill through the old town.
Where to stay
Mons has a limited number of hotels, which fill for the Doudou weekend, so book early. Brussels is an easy day trip by train, and many visitors stay there, returning to Mons on the morning of the procession and the Lumeçon.
What it costs
The festival is free. Seats in stands around the Lumeçon arena are sold in advance, and they offer the best view. Mons is affordable, with reasonably priced food and drink, and the beer flows freely all weekend.
Go like you know
- Get to the Grand-Place well before 12:30 if you want to see the Lumeçon up close; the square fills hours ahead.
- Watch for the lucky horsehairs, which are treasured, traded and kept for the year.
- Climb the belfry, a UNESCO World Heritage site, for views over the city on a quieter day.
- Brussels' Ommegang, around the start of July, is Belgium's other great historic pageant.
- For a Catalan festival of fire and dragons, see La Patum de Berga, also held around Corpus Christi.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Ducasse de Mons?
On Trinity Sunday weekend, eight weeks after Easter. In 2027, Trinity Sunday falls on May 23, so the shrine descends on the evening of May 22, and the procession and the Lumeçon take place on Sunday, May 23, with the battle at 12:30.
What is the Lumeçon?
The Lumeçon is a choreographed battle between Saint George and a dragon on the Grand-Place, lasting about half an hour. The dragon's long tail swings over the crowd, and people try to grab its horsehair for luck. Saint George always wins, killing the dragon with a pistol shot.
Why must the Car d'Or reach the top in one go?
According to local belief, if the gilded carriage carrying the relics of Saint Waltrude stops on its way up the steep slope to her church, the city will suffer misfortune. That's why hundreds of people help push it, and why the crowd cheers so loudly when it reaches the top.
