Hasselt (the Brussels morning Newspaper): The Virga Jessefeesten in Hasselt held every seven years features processions celebrating Mary with community participation. This year around 25,000 attendees enjoyed vibrant displays including a poignant tableau vivant reflecting on global conflicts. The festival runs until August 25,2024.
The Virga Jessefeesten in Hasselt is a big local festival that happens every seven years. This year there are three processions that show the life of Mary. Each procession has many volunteers who walk through the streets of Hasselt and interact with the people watching. On the day of the processions about 25,000 people came to the city center to see the celebrations. The processions which feature detailed displays and community participation attract big crowds and highlight Hasselt’s rich culture and religious traditions.It has been said that this festival is an important event for the area bringing in visitors from different places to enjoy the lively and historic celebration.
What makes the Virga Jessefeesten in Hasselt so memorable?
It has been said that one of the most memorable parts of the Virga Jessefeesten processions was a tableau vivant or “living painting,” that showed a powerful and emotional scene. This tableau featured a moving image of a mother holding her dead child in Gaza highlighting the deep sadness and tragedy related to the conflict. In the tableau three young people took part in the performance. They worked quietly and with a lot of focus arranging themselves to copy the scene as closely as they could. They used canvases to frame their bodies and make sure their poses and expressions matched the image they were showing. After a little while they would change their positions slightly adjusting their poses to show the ongoing story of the tableau. The tableau vivant was a dramatic and thoughtful part of the procession giving people a moment to reflect in the middle of the lively celebrations of the Virga Jessefeesten. It reminded everyone of the human effects of global conflicts which was different from the festival’s usual focus on community and tradition.
Director Luc Morren talked about using a famous photo from Gaza where a mother holds her dead child. He thinks it’s important to show current events in the procession because giving comfort is something we always need. The parade has 1,300 people taking part. One of them is Gilbert Govaerts who has been in the procession since he was 7 years old in 1947. He says “For me, those 9 processions are always the same because it means being happy.” He also sees that things have changed it’s more about having fun now. Many young people join in Hasselt. A young girl said “We do a flash mob and dance with a big group.” She thinks it’s fun and makes people happy whether they are religious or not. There are still processions this Sunday and next Saturday and the Virga Jessefeesten will go on until August 25.
