Belgium is home to numerous artistic movements, from Flemish Renaissance and expressionist/surrealist painting, sculptors like Van Eyck, and instrument maker Adolphe Quetelet who invented both body mass indexing and the saxophone.
Politically, Belgium is a parliamentary democracy. The King plays an honorific role while the Lower House of Parliament elects its Prime Minister.
Culture
Belgians take great pride in their nation and its culture. Popular aspects include food (Belgian beers, fries, chocolate and waffles) gastronomy (Belgian beers, fries, chocolate and waffles); Herge’s comic strip tradition (The Adventures of Tintin, Marsupilami and Spirou & Fantasio); Surrealist art movement established during 1920s with artists like Magritte and Mesens; as well as internationally-recognised cinema which hosts various major film festivals annually.
Belgium is generally safe and peaceful with few social issues. Most crimes stemming from drug trafficking, prostitution and petty theft; few murders and armed robberies occur here; fortunately no major organized criminal groups exist within its borders.
Most Belgians live in their hometowns of birth, creating close extended families. Residents are very self-conscious about the appearance of their homes; an appealing garden and tidy street are indicators of good manners and often marked with fresh paint on exterior surfaces and regular cleaning of pavements and steps outside their houses. Sweeping services also operate regularly to keep streets looking nice. Many Belgians possess excellent language skills – many can speak multiple languages including English – with subtle communication favored over directness as they believe directness may come across as rudeness.
At one time, Franco-Flemish style music dominated European music from 15th and 16th century composers like Josquin des Prez and Orlando di Lasso. By the 20th century, however, singer Jacques Brel and classical composers Henri Vieuxtemps, Eugene Ysaye and Arthur Grumiaux had established themselves. Meanwhile in Belgium itself was Adolphe Sax who invented the saxophone; jazz musicians include Toots Thielemans from Blindman Kwartet as well as rock ‘n’ pop artists Lara Fabian, Stromae Kate Ryan and dEUS.
Food
Belgium’s cuisine is varied and delectable, drawing influence from France, Germany and the Netherlands. Popular dishes in Belgium include frites (fries) and mussels; waffles and chocolate are also among its tasty dessert offerings.
Belgians typically consume four meals daily. Starting off their day with a light breakfast, followed by a medium lunch and afternoon snack; and for dinner they typically enjoy what is known as “Supper or le Sopper”, usually eaten between 19:00 or 20:00.
Moules frites is one of the best-known dishes of Belgian cuisine, consisting of steaming mussels served with fresh bread and Belgian fries. This popular local and tourist choice has become an icon of Belgian dining culture. Another delicious classic food staple in Belgium is Stoemp (Dutch for “stew”) made up of potatoes, onions, and meat (usually beef). It takes its name from this combination originating in Dutch language stoemp translates directly.
Belgium offers many tantalizing treats. Locals enjoy eating cheese from various manufacturers and chocolate from Belgium’s many producers. Belgians also have access to an impressive variety of beers and wines; particularly popular is Bruges as a place for finding these beverages.
Belgium is famous for its waffles, made of brioche dough with pearl sugar that caramelizes when baked and can be topped with mayonnaise, curry and ketchup for extra sauce options. Other favorite treats in Belgium include croquettes and peche au thon sandwiches filled with tuna and mayonnaise; additionally some restaurants serve trogs; these deliciously crispy yet meltingly juicy snacks are part of a traditional meal eaten on Saint Martin’s Day.
Language
Belgium boasts an estimated 17-million population and is Europe’s second-most densely populated nation after the Netherlands. Divided into Dutch-speaking Flanders and French-speaking Wallonia and an East German speaking region called Bavaria; Brussels serves as its capital with ornate guildhalls at Grand-Place as well as art nouveau buildings that make for a lively environment.
Belgium is a constitutional monarchy characterized by a Prime Minister and multiparty system, where decision-making powers are distributed among various government branches, language-based communities (Flemish, French and German-speaking) and regions such as Flanders, Brussels Capital and Wallonia. Municipal governments with substantial political autonomy also bear considerable responsibility.
Postwar Belgium has been marred by two significant political controversies: an argument about King Leopold III’s behavior during World War II, and Flemish demands for the state to be reorganized into language-based communities with significant autonomy.
Though linguistic tensions have eased somewhat, political differences persist. Recurring disputes relating to economy, foreign policy and parliamentary procedure remain on-going despite efforts made by national security systems to strengthen and modernise military services.
People living in Belgium primarily speak French, though many also utilize local languages and are fluent in English. Furthermore, most residents possess an in-depth knowledge of one or more other European languages such as German and Dutch – with many young Belgians being bilingual themselves. When greeting a Flemish speaker a quick handshake is customary while Walloons often give cheek kisses when greeting each other; their cultures also differ somewhat; for instance Walloons offer distinct cuisine and wear different clothing than Flemish speakers.
Traditions
Belgian people tend to be friendly and flexible while remaining modest and self-disciplined. Family is prioritized, work hard (productivity levels are generally high), save significant portions of earnings for later use as savings accounts, while spending the remainder on socializing with friends and relatives.
Belgium is home to many political party members and religious communities alike. Most Belgians identify with Roman Catholicism while the government financially supports Catholic and Protestant churches along with Jewish and Muslim religions.
Belgium is home to many public centers providing social aid in cities and a ministry for social promotion that work toward decreasing inequality. Being a parliamentary democracy, Belgium does not have one central leader or governing body; after elections the King designates one of two main political families (one being Leuven or Limburg) to form a cabinet and try forming it themselves.
Belgian beer, fries and chocolate are just part of its diverse culture; Belgium boasts a vast array of comic strip art (Tintin, Spirou and Fantasio), painting and architecture (Romanesque, Early Netherlandish, Flemish Renaissance and Baroque); music theater performances; festival events like Aalst Carnival held annually between February and March; the annual Virga Jesse procession in Bruges in May; 15 August celebrations in Namur; and Gentse Feesten which commemorate Belgian National Day on July 16.
Parents generally try to teach their children values such as honesty, good manners and tolerance; however there can be regional and class distinctions. Loyalty and courage may be valued among workers in Flanders while independence and self-reliance may be valued more among university graduates, civil servants or businesspeople in Wallonia; similarly while understatement is highly regarded in Belgian life; showing wealth before others is not.
Customs
Belgium is a small nation characterized by diverse cultural influences that vary according to region, leading to unique customs and traditions that characterise each community.
As is traditional for Belgians, when meeting someone for the first time it is customary to shake hands and say something like, “Nice to meet you” (French: enchantee; Dutch: aangenaam; German: angenehm). Furthermore, Belgians communicate more directly than most other Europeans, and disagreeing with someone is considered acceptable provided it’s done politely.
Punctuality is extremely important in Belgium, so ensure that you arrive promptly for meetings and events. If you think you might be late, call ahead or send a text to let people know what’s going on.
Gifting when invited to dinner or a party is always appreciated, such as wine, flowers or sweets. White chrysanthemums should not be given due to their association with death; additionally it would be impolite to place too many items on your plate as this could be considered gluttonous behavior.
Age sets, or groups of people that meet to engage in sociocultural and philanthropic activities, have become an established tradition in Belgium. These gatherings usually culminate in a major party when each member reaches 50 years old.
Belgium is a member of the ATA Carnet convention and can use a Trade Area and Tariff Information and Authorization Centre (TARIC) to determine whether a product requires a license for entry. Furthermore, the European Commission operates a trade helpdesk that offers information on import restrictions for various products – in this instance rice import restrictions appear inconsistent with Articles IX and XI of GATT as well as Common Market Organization rules.