Belgium
Map
Belgium finds itself in Western Europe with 4 neighboring countries (The Netherlands, Germany, Luxemburg and France). It has a temperate, oceanic climate (winter typically 30+ o F, summer typically 60+ o F). Belgium receives Northern to Western winds most of the time which brings grey clouds and rain throughout the year.
Cultural personality
Belgians consider themselves warm-hearthy people. Belgians consider themselves hard-working and are usually dedicated to their jobs. A well-fit balance between work, family life and leisure is considered important though and they will take care not to overload themselves or their peers. Following the many occupations by foreign rule in the past (notably the Roman, Austrian, French, Spanish and Dutch rule), Belgians have developed an individualistic, anti-authoritarian attitude and usually show little pride in their country’s achievements. If proud, they will likely mention the fries, chocolate or beer.
At the same rate and by virtue of the many foreign contacts, Belgians are tolerant, flexible and welcoming. They are usually reserved and introverted at first and friendship is something that needs years, by which they may sometimes appear cold to the inexperienced. Belgians are averse towards moralizing and telling other people how they should or should not behave, summarized as “live and and let live”, thus applying a very pragmatical attitude. Also, Belgians make very little distinction between classes or social strata. It is not because you are a professor, a noble man or a rich banker that you will be treated with special respect or privileges. At the same rate, social competition is relatively low and there is no such thing as a “Belgian dream”. In the Belgian way, everybody has the right to be taken serious, and to get a good education and a decent way of living. On the economic plane, this egalitarian philosophy is illustrated by the fact that Belgium has the lowest percentage of poor people in the world.
Belgium can be split into two large regions, notably Flanders in the North, where people generally speak dutch (cfr. the Netherlands) and Wallonia, where people generally speak french. In Flanders, dialects have developed and differentiated to such a level that dutch (i.e. in the Netherlands) television channels will subtitle most Flemish series and emissions. There also a German-speaking part in the east.
The political structure of the country is quite complex with at least 5 political administrations for each person (1. federal, 2. regional (Flanders / Brussels region / Wallonia), 3. community (Flemish / Wallonian), 4. province, 5. city/village). There have been a lot of political conflicts between the two main linguistic communities, but it is much less important than it seems. There have never been any real conflicts between Belgian (Walloon and Flemish) people, as opposed to conflicts between Belgian politicians. It is worth saying that no one has ever been killed or seriously injured in any confrontation.
Flemish and Walloon cultures differ in several respects (Flanders shares more with the disciplined Germanic culture and Wallonia more with the “carpe dia” Mediterranean culture), they have more in common than most will admit. Very few in either Flanders or Wallonia consider that their region should leave Belgium and join the more powerful neighbor state. All Belgians love the “good life”, by excellent food and drink, comfortable housing and reliable medical and social services. To the foreigner, this will be observable by the many different houses, each usually built by the owners themselves, and the very dense concentration of restaurants and pubs. Belgium is the country with the highest number of Michelin stars per head of the population. Given this overwhelming competition, it is not surprising that Belgium is the only country in the world where the fast-food giant McDonald’s has been consistently losing money.
What are some common sayings?
- Live and let live (see above)
- “a Belgian compromise”. This is a term used for typical settlements or solutions that are by conceding something to every party concerned, through usually so complicated that nobody completely understands all its implications.
What are some defining points in the culture’s history?
- 1830: Belgian revolution resulting in independence
- 1914-1918: World War I
- 1940-1945: World War II
What does a person from Belgium look like?
Clothing
Traditional boy’s dress:
Traditional girl’s dress:
For the ladies:
The Huntress: perhaps the most popular all time classic Belgian costumes, it is popularly worn as a wedding dress in Belgium. The Huntress dress has a lot of character with Celtic trimming on the edge of its sleeves and contrasting bias edging.
The Eponin: this is known as a slimming dress and belongs to the romantic era. Traditionally the dress was always made using a fully lined cotton twill.
For the men:
Modern time dress is Western, much alike German or Dutch. In business, men go in trousers and a shirt, with or without a tie depending on the company guidelines. Women usually go in a skirt or trousers and shirt. In leisure time, jeans, T-shirts and shorts are common.
Physical Build
Belgian people are largely Caucasian white, although minorities with roots from around the world are common, most notably are black Africans, Turks and Moroccan.
What are the traditional eating habits of the culture?
- Breakfast is usually between 6-8am and includes bread, nutella, milk and/or coffee, fruit juice, eggs and/or cheese. Meat is usually excluded.
- Lunch start typically at 12 am and may be bread-based or a full a warm meal. Traditionally, it is a full meal including a piece of meat (chicken/pork/beef), potatoes and one or more vegetables (tomatoes, salad, carrots, cauliflower are among the most popular)
- Dinner starts usually at 6-7pm and is either a bread-based meal or a full warm meal. Note that Belgians will usually take only one full meal in a day, either at lunch or at dinner. The bread-based meal consists of bread with cheese and/or fine meats.
Culinary Highlights
- Waterzooi (“Watery mess”), also known as Gentse Waterzooi (“Ghent’s watery mess” referring to the city of Ghent). This stew is made of the fish or chicken, vegetables including carrots, leeks and potatoes, herbs, eggs, cream and butter.
- Braises, known as Flemish Carbonades, which in essence is a slow-cooked beef stew, usually with beer
- Waffles
Are there standard times of fasting or eating different foods during the year
- Roman catholic tradition includes a fastening period, from Ash Wednesday until Easter in which meats and candy are not eaten, but this is largely unobserved today. The Muslim community, which is one of the largest minorities, generally observes the Ramadan.
- If things do change, this will largely depend on seasonal availability. Some vegetables are only available throughout certain periods of the time. Mussels are fresh only in months with an ‘r’ only (September through April)
- Also, some vegetables, like Brussels sprouts or leek, are considered winter food.
What are some things that are very valued or not valued?
- Family life, friends and a good work-leisure balance in life are generally considered important.
- Most Belgians are quite home-bound and pass most of their lives in the near neighborhood of their homes, the expression being “between church and home”.
- For most people, wealth is usually regarded as a means to welfare and not a goal in its own.
