The "Gilles" at the Carnival of Nivelles,Belgium

This festival celebrates the arrival of spring.These "Gilles" are famous for their hats(made from ostrich feathers) and for throwing oranges.This carnival only happens once every year. The Gilles' costume includes the hat(weighing about 3 kilos),the belt attached with 6 to 9 little bells and a chest bell worn on the breast plate.

The bells are of different weights and the sound depends on the size of the bell.The shirt and the trousers are made of burlap and stuffed inside... sown are motifs of lions and stripes of red,yellow and black(belgian flag colors).Added are the clogs and the basket with oranges.It's said that they tap the ground with their clogs as they dance to drive away the spirit of winter and welcome in the spring.

The streets are filled with confettis and kids are given candies or oranges. In this carnival of Nivelles, you can also see other groups wearing different costumes.Different bands play different music.As the parade of the different groups pass by,you hear the different beats of their drums. Spectators also get a chance to wear their favorite costumes(maybe from the last halloween).