Kermesse

Kermesse (also Kermis), originally the mass said on the anniversary of the foundation of a church and in honour of the patron, the word being equivalent to Kirkmass.

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Such celebrations were regularly held in the Low Countries and also in northern France, and were accompanied by feasting, dancing and sports of all kinds. They still survive in the form of funfairs, but the old allegorical representations are now uncommon.

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The Brussels Kermesse is, however, still marked by a procession in which the effigies of the Mannikin and medieval heroes are carried. At Mons the Ducasse (local word for Kermesse) occurs annually on Trinity Sunday and is called the procession of Lume?on (Walloon for lima?on, a snail): the hero is Gilles de Chin, who slays a terrible monster, captor of a princess, in the Grand Place. This is the story of George and the Dragon.

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At Hasselt the Kermesse (now only septennial) not only commemorates the Christian story of the foundation of the town, but even preserves traces of a pagan festival.

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The word Kermesse (generally in the form Kirmess) is applied in the United States to any entertainment, especially one organized in the interest of charity.

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See Demetrius C Boulger, Belgian Life in Town and Country (1904).

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Low Countries: The Low Countries, the historical region of de Nederlanden, are the countries (see "Country") on low-lying land around the delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse (Maas) rivers. The term is not particularly current in modern contexts because the region does not very exactly correspond with the nation...

France: The French Republic or France (: R?publique fran?aise or France) is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in Western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents....

Funfair: A funfair is a small to medium sized travelling fair primarily comprised of amusement rides. Larger fairs or the permanent fairs of cities and seaside resorts may be called a fairground, although technically this should refer to the land where a fair is traditionally held....

Kermesse related Images and Photos (experimental)

The Kermesse at Saint-Omer in 1846

The Return from the Kermesse