The Manneken Pis is a small bronze statue in Brussels, Belgium, depicting a young boy above a fountain. Dating back to the early 17th century, it has become one of the city’s most iconic and quirky symbols. On September 8th, he will be dressed in a Macedonian folk costume.
A beloved tradition involves dressing the statue in various costumes, often reflecting cultural, historical, or celebratory themes, with over 1 000 outfits donated by organizations and countries worldwide. This practice not only showcases creativity and humor but also serves as a gesture of international friendship and diplomacy, as many costumes are gifts from foreign dignitaries or cities, symbolizing goodwill and cultural exchange between Belgium and the global community.
Program:
On September 8th, the Manneken Pis in Brussels will be dressed in traditional Macedonian folk costume. A series of activities is planned around this event by the country and the local Macedonian community.
- 10:45: Arrival at the Brussels City Hall
- 11:00:
- Welcome speech by a representative of the City of Brussels;
- Address by a Macedonian representative
- Presentation of the Macedonian folk costume
- Handing over of the costume to the Manneken-Pis dresser, who will dress the statuette at the fountain, followed by the unveiling of the new costume;
- Closing address by the President of the Order of the Friends of Manneken-Pis
- Reception hosted by the City of Brussels;
- Procession from the City Hall to the Manneken-Pis fountain.
- Around 12:00 – Conclusion at the Manneken-Pis fountain.
Manneken Pis is located in Brussels at ///Short.Taken.informal.
A female version Jeanneke Pis is located nearby at ///Varieties.unstable.torch
There are numerous legends about Manneken Pis. One is, that he extinguished a fire and saved the city. Another tells that it represents a child lost during a battle but that could be identified later. Again another says that the statue represents a child who was turned into a statue by a witch as punishment for what he did to her house.
In view of 3,7 million tourists coming to Brussels vs. 0,8 mio to Skopje, it shows that the size of the statue might matter less than the originality.
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