The Doodle for today honours Belgium’s National Day! Leopold I took the oath as king and vowed allegiance to the constitution on this day in 1831. Despite the fact that Belgium gained freedom the year before, in 1829, this festival honours the nation’s first ruler.
Belgium was seized by the Netherlands following the Napoleonic Wars. Belgians from several revolutionary groups banded together in August and October of 1830 to overthrow the Dutch. Following the withdrawal of Dutch soldiers from the country in November, the National Congress declared Belgium a constitutional monarchy and chose German aristocrat Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha as its first legitimate ruler.
Several events are organised annually to celebrate Belgium’s independence. The Te Deum hymn is typically sung at the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula in Brussels to kick off the festivities after the king delivers a speech on tv. The royal family then goes to the Place de Palais for the National Day celebration, when a large parade is held.
The public also enjoys fireworks displays, free concerts, and flyovers by the Belgian Air Force. And a party wouldn’t be complete without some perfectly fried, delectable frites offered with a selection of sauces and toppings. On National Day, you can see a lot of frites stands—friterie in French or frietkot in Flemish—like the one in the current Doodle. In Bruges, Belgium, there is even a museum called the Frietmuseum that is solely dedicated to glorifying frites!
Happy National Day, Belgium!