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 became 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.
On September 8th, the Manneken Pis in Brussels was dressed in traditional Macedonian folk costume. The dress comes from Kučevište and was presented by the Macedonian Mission to the EU. A series of activities happened around this event by the country and the local Macedonian community.
After speeches by the representatives of the City of Brussels, and the Macedonian community, a Macedonian dress was handed to the official Manneken Pis dresser, who dressed the statuette at the fountain. The President of the Order of the Friends of Manneken Pis.
The unveiling was done by the Ambassador. BMBC president Hilde de Saedeleir was also present at the event.
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.
Manneken Pis is located in Brussels at ///Short.Taken.informal.
A female version Jeanneke Pis is located nearby at ///Varieties.unstable.torch
3,7 million tourists are coming every year to Brussels, 0,8 mio to Skopje. It shows that the size of a statue might matter less than the originality.
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