Hasselt Celebrates Spring’s Arrival with Festive May Evening Event

Hasselt (Eurotoday) – Every year in Hasselt, winter is symbolically set ablaze in a striking celebration to welcome spring. Through a massive bonfire, community members ceremonially burn effigies of winter, accompanied by traditional Maypole dances, theatrical performances, and festive rituals heralding the new season.

This evening, Hasselt revived its 468-year-old May Evening event, as reported by VRT. The celebration included a traditional procession, the symbolic burning of a winter effigy, the raising of the Maypole, and performances by local dance and theater ensembles. As the sun set, a crowd gathered in the city’s Grote Markt, where a bonfire was lit and a doll representing winter was burned, signifying the seasonal transition. Participants enjoyed local treats like Hasseltse droplets (a regional gin) and speculaas cookies, while the May Count ceremoniously read his proclamation from horseback.

The May Evening celebration, first held in 1538, remains a vital part of Hasselt’s cultural heritage. The festivities begin with a procession from Reddelberg to Grote Markt, growing in size as residents join along the way. At the heart of the event lies a symbolic fire and the burning of the winter doll—an ancient gesture of rebirth and renewal.

Raising the Maypole, believed to bring prosperity, is another key highlight. Theatre and dance groups perform traditional routines, and the May Count’s speech marks the festive turning point from winter to spring. The atmosphere is steeped in joy, with food, drink, and song tying the community together in celebration. Alderman Laurence Libert (N-VA/Open Vld) noted the tradition’s continued ability to attract both city dwellers and visitors from afar.

The Cultural and Historical Significance of Hasselt’s May Evening

Hasselt’s May Evening celebration, under the longstanding motto “Burn winter and welcome spring,” is a powerful combination of pre-Christian seasonal rites and later Christian traditions. Now marked for the 468th time, the ritual reflects a deep cultural lineage where fire symbolizes cleansing and rebirth. Similar rituals throughout Germanic Europe once sought to drive away winter’s lingering darkness and encourage new growth. Over time, these transitioned into early Lenten Christian practices, as cultural historian Joël Luxembourg explains.

Other regional events, like the Buergbrennen festival in western Belgium (also known as Dimanche des Brandons), use bonfires on the first Sunday of Lent to mark similar seasonal transitions. What sets Hasselt apart is the timing—late April to early May—blending agricultural custom with local pride. A highlight is the lighting of the fire, often by prominent community members like newlyweds, affirming unity, renewal, and seasonal change.