Zinneke Parade attracts 50,000 spectators

2 June 2008

BELGIUM – Some 2,500 people have taken part in the biannual Brussels Zinneke Parade on Saturday. A celebration of the capital’s diversity and the fraternity between its different ethnic groups, the colourful show attracted some 50,000 spectators.

The 5th edition of the Zinneke Parade was made up of several smaller neighbourhood parades that melted together into one big parade in the city centre.

Dozens of organisations, neighbourhood committees and individuals worked for months to get their colourful costumes and floats ready for Saturday’s show.

This year, the participants found their inspiration in the theme of “water”. Also new this year was that the parade called in at the Brussels Grand’ Place.

The Parade was appropriately concluded with a so-called big jump in front of the Stock Exchange. For a fraction of a second, the earth trembled as all participants joined in the jump.

The name Zinneke Parade is derived from local slang. In Brussels dialect a “zinneke” refers to a mongrel. With inhabitants from all parts of the world, the organisers thought there was no name more suitable for their parade.

text by flandersnews.be / Expatica
photos by Flickr contributor quarsan

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