15 august in Outremeuse (Liege)
The festival is religious because mass is said in Walloon and the procession celebrates the Assumption. It is also very popular because it attracts many people from Liège as well as foreign tourists who come to attend mass in Walloon, puppet shows at the Tchantchès museum, the folk procession and, in recent years, a concert organized on Place Delcour. The event brings together an average of 200,000 people during the three days of the festival1.The festivities begin with the release of the Bouquet, a structure weighing approximately 50 kg, measuring 7 m high and decorated with approximately 3,000 silk flowers2.The starting point of the procession is at the Saint-Nicolas-Outremeuse church, where the Black Virgin (dating from the 16th century) is kept, which was brought out during the procession. All along the route, many faithful place bouquets of flowers on the support carrying the statue. The Virgin is carried by 6 scouts from the Notre-Dame d'Outremeuse unit.The festivities begin on 14 August with folk parades, funfairs and free concerts (in the evening) until late at night. All kinds of styles of music and songs can be found, in French, Walloon or English. Large areas are reserved for pedestrians, and groups of party-goers can walk from stage to stage.On the afternoon of 15 August, the great folk procession takes place, bringing together dozens of groups, brass bands and other brotherhoods from Wallonia and elsewhere. The giants of the Province of Liège and other invited giants also enhance the procession. The giant Xhovémont, mascot of the RFC liégeois rugby, took his first steps during the procession of 15 August 2008, followed in 2014 by that of the wrestler Constant le Marin.The festivities end on August 16 with the burial ceremony of Matî l'Ohê (Mathieu l'os, in Walloon). The ceremony represents the funeral and cremation of a bone, symbolizing the remains of the festivities.
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