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Saint Verhaegen

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Saint Verhaegen
Saint Verhaegen festivities in Brussels
NicknameSt V
StatusActive
Date(s)20 November
FrequencyAnnual
Venue
Location(s)City of Brussels, Brussels-Capital Region
Coordinates50°50′27″N 4°21′18″E / 50.84085°N 4.35505°E / 50.84085; 4.35505
CountryBelgium
InauguratedNovember 24, 1888 (1888-11-24)
FounderFree University of Brussels
Most recentNovember 20, 2023 (2023-11-20)
Next eventNovember 20, 2024 (2024-11-20)

Saint Verhaegen (French: Saint-Verhaegen; Dutch: Sint-Verhaegen), commonly shortened to St V, is a holiday for freethinking university students in Brussels, Belgium. It takes place annually on 20 November and commemorates the founding of the Free University of Brussels on 20 November 1834. The day's name is a reference to Pierre-Théodore Verhaegen, the university's founder, who notably is not a saint and was never canonized; the name was chosen instead to mock the Saint Nicholas festivities of the rival Catholic University.

The festivities started in 1888 as a protest against the then-academic authorities and has since grown into an annual parade that pays tribute to Verhaegen and the values of free inquiry [fr; nl]. Nowadays, the event is organised by the Brussels Student Association and is celebrated by students of both the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), which officially separated in 1970.

Origins

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The event dates back to 24 November 1888, when students of the university organised to protest a university reorganisation that was perceived as undemocratic and against the principle of free inquiry [fr; nl] (French: libre examen, Dutch: vrij onderzoek), on which the university was founded. That morning, 200 of the university's 1,400 students, with many freemasons (as Verhaegen was also the founder of the Grand Orient of Belgium), assembled and left a wreath of oak leaves on Verhaegen's tomb.

Placing flowers on Verhaegen's tomb in Brussels Cemetery by university faculty is part of the formal aspect of the celebration.

In following years, the students, with much fanfare and waving the flags of their respective student organisations, would form a long procession to pay homage to Verhaegen at his tomb and a monument in his honour. These celebrations continue to this day, although the students are now generally more concerned with drinking in the streets; the honouring of Verhaegen is done largely by faculty and leaders of the student organisations and is more formal and official. In the last few years, a revival of the formalities has occurred due to several restrictions imposed by the city council.[1] Students get the day off for the events; no classes are scheduled that day.[2]

Celebrations

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Celebrations at the Square du Grand Sablon/Grote Zavelsquare

Most student groups rent a large transport truck for the occasion, which they decorate in accordance with the year's theme. Each truck has a large number of kegs inside, and some students are designated to serve beer to the others all day, with an all-you-can-drink payment scheme. Many also bring large sound systems which play loud music all day. 2013's Saint Verhaegen saw 6,000 students and 27 transport trucks take part in the procession.[3]

The students first meet at the Square du Grand Sablon/Grote Zavelsquare in central Brussels, and after several hours, the trucks start to move towards the former Brussels Stock Exchange on the Boulevard Anspach/Anspachlaan (Brussels' main boulevard). This takes several hours as well, as the trucks move only at a walking speed and are more often than not stopped due to the students surrounding them and on the road. Beer may not be served while the trucks are in motion. All roads which the procession goes on are closed to other traffic, including the Boulevard Anspach. The students then disperse and reconvene around 9 p.m. at ULB's Solbosch campus, where all the year's decorations are burnt semi-ceremonially.[4] Many alumni come to the university's discothèque on that night, which is normally only open to current students.

After the November 2015 Paris attacks, the city council decided to cancel the event for the first time since World War II.[5] A large part of the students, however, ignored that ban and proceeded to occupy the traditional starting point of the Square du Grand Sablon only to later continue with the procession on foot.[6] The following year, the city council forbade the use of the transport trucks and limited the consumption of alcohol to the start- and end-points; the students responded by throwing flour at each other and passers-bys. The origins of the flour-throwing dates back to a past tradition of the holiday where the students used to throw eggs, flour and water at the local catholic bourgeoisie who lived in and near the Square du Grand Sablon, after they had repeatedly pleaded with to city council to try and stop the event from happening because they disapproved of the students using the square as their starting point.[7]

In 2019, Saint Verhaegen was included in the inventory of intangible cultural heritage of the Brussels-Capital Region.[8][9][10]

Yearly themes and medals

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Since 1931, Saint Verhaegen has been given a yearly theme, usually responding to current events and taking a liberal/anti-clerical approach. However, political themes are not shunned either, with students often using Saint Verhaegen to raise awareness on social problems, ideological issues and humanitarian crises. Fascism, the School Struggle, state reforms, community fault lines, language politics, abortion, apartheid, human rights, freedom of speech, nationalism, migration, terrorism, climate change, poverty, the far-right, etc., among others, have already formed the theme of the celebration.

In practice, the annual theme often emerges in the decorations of the floats, the party stands on the Sablon and is expressed on banners and signs.[clarification needed] Since 1938, the organisation has also issued an official medal every year, which features an often explicit illustration. Initially this was done by the Association Générale des Etudiants (AGE), later the ACE and the BSG took on this task.[11] A competition is usually held for the design of the medals, in which VUB and ULB students are allowed to submit their designs.

Associations and individuals also regularly issue medals on their own initiative at Saint Verhaegen that are separate from the official theme. Given their long tradition and limited circulation, the medals have become coveted collector's items among some, such as in 1988, for the event's 100th anniversary.

Overview of the annual themes since 1931:

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Year Theme Note Medals
1931 De libertee van de peerdefamille.
1938 Le fascisme.
1946 Le lauréat.
1950 L'incivisme et les fléaux qu'il engendre.
1952 À bas la calotte.
1953 L'amnistie.
1954 Autres temps… autre mœurs.
1955 In calotta venenum.
1956 La guerre interplanétaire.
1957 Spoutnik et fusées.
1958 La conquête de l'espace. - Expo 58.
1959 La pensée ne doit jamais se soumettre. 125th anniversary of the Free University of Brussels
1960 La loi unique et l'austérité qui en découle.
1961 ONU soit qui mal y pense.
1962 L'œcuménisme.
1963 L'antimilitarisme.
1964 St V équestre.
1965 Pacem in tenis.
1966 L'ULB à la plaine des manœuvres.
1967 Le St V des Saints.
1968 St Volympique.
1969 Part(ur)ition de l'U.L.B.
1970 L'antipollution.
1971 St V Impériale.
1972 Gaston la Gaffe et son 107 (k) water closed. - La pénurie des sens.
1973 On en a Plaine le KUL
1974 L'inflation calotante.
1975 St V de deuil. The celebrations were canceled and replaced by the students with a 'mourning march' carrying a coffin to the Sablon in protest of the Humblet-De Croo law that revised higher education funding.
1976 Le schisme de l'Église.
1977 La régionalisation.
1978 Rencontre du pape.
1979 Mille ans de pucelles.
1980 St V de misère.
Ras le bol.
1981 Dépénalisez l'Avortement.
1982 Allons enfants de l'apathie.
1983 St V de moutons.
1984 Le Déclin Scientifique. E=CM²
1985 Contre l'apartheid.
1986 l'An Saignant.
1987 Les intégristes aux puces dei.
1988 Ras-le-bol de Pine… Hochet
Droits de l'Homme
1888-1988 : cent ans de St V.
1989 Liberté de sex primer.
1990 Le pacifisme. Le Koweït interrompu.
1991 Ça va Zaïre.
1992 Con s'separe pas.
1993 Insanitatis splendor.
1994 Ils étaient là. Merci, 50 ans après. Commemoration of Groupe G.
1995 En Saignée.
Otan savoir.
1996 Démocratie - Pas des mots gratuits.
1997 L'an pire des médias.
1998 L'étroit de l'homme dégradation universelleVerjaring Mensenrechten
1999 Coïto ergo sum.
2000 Débloquons Anvers et contre toutHopelijk valt de winter vroeg in Antwerpen.
2001 God blesse la paixGod, te VREDEn gebracht.
2002 Catholique Dangereusement HypocriteCaloten Dood & Vrolijk
2003 1888-2003 Arme de protection massive — Let the pope rest.
2004 À la redécouverte de la St V herondekt
2005 La réunion fait la force.
2006 150 ans de fraternité.
2007 Scientia vincere tenebras!
2008 La crise de liquiditéCrisis van het (Beurs) klimaat.
2009 Francisco Ferrer - 1909-2009
Niqab ni calotte?
Bleu de toi, Rouge de colère.
2010 Een gelaten regering… Laissez faire et en rire?
2011 Noyés dans la médiacrité.
2012 Ceci n'est pas une caricature.
2013 Philippe pour tous. Waar is Laurent ?
2014 Guerres dans le monde 100 Guerre mondialeWereld in oorlog, geen wereldoorlog?
2015 #ToutEstOubliéVergeten en vergeven. The event was canceled due to increased terror threats, but students held an impromptu and ultimately allowed celebration on.
2016 Sortie d’urgence, virez à droiteIndien nood, keer naar rechts.
2017 Asiel voor de migrants, opkuisen les gouvernements.
2018 Librex bafoué, universités engagées?Recht staan in plaats van ondergaan.
2019 Minderbedeeld of minder verdeeld, citoyens invisibles et gouvernements nuisibles.
2020 Met afstand maar niet afstandelijk, confiné.e.s mais pas aveuglé.e.s. Canceled due to the Covid-19 crisis, replaced with an online event to raise funds for charity, and unlike in 2015, no large spontaneous gathering occurred.
2021 Libre de détruire mais pas d’accueillir. Uitstoot toegestaan, grenzen toegedaan. On October 12, 2021, it was announced that Sint-Verhaegen could proceed with a Covid Safe Ticket, but on November 12, the VUB and ULB postponed the event to March 18, 2022, due to rising Covid-19 cases, leading students to protest on November 19, which was eventually allowed by the authorities.
2022 Baar uw wetten zonder het aborteren van onze rechtenAccouchez vos lois sans avortez pas nos droits.
2023 «Accrochez-vous» c'est bienOns financieren is beter!

See also

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References

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  1. ^ (in French)ULB's agenda for the holiday, 2007.
  2. ^ "Calendrier académique et agenda 2007–2008" (in French). Université Libre de Bruxelles. 2007. Archived from the original on 16 November 2007. Retrieved 19 November 2007.
  3. ^ "Saint-Verhaegen calme et fraîche: moins d'interventions qu'en 2012" (in French). RTBF. 20 November 2013. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
  4. ^ "Saint-V: un étudiant décède lors du cortège, autopsie prévue – RTBF Regions". Rtbf.be. 20 November 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  5. ^ "Politie controleert Grote Markt in Brussel, geen St-Vé-viering". De Morgen (in Dutch). 20 November 2015. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  6. ^ "Studenten houden spontane Saint-Vé-optocht: "Brussel is van ons"". De Morgen (in Dutch). 20 November 2015. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  7. ^ "Flour Power". www.demoeial.be. Archived from the original on 3 October 2017.
  8. ^ "La Saint Verhaegen — Patrimoine - Erfgoed". patrimoine.brussels. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  9. ^ McNally, Paul (13 October 2019). "Brussels student celebration St V joins cultural heritage list". The Bulletin. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  10. ^ "La St-V fait son entrée au patrimoine culturel immatériel de la Région de Bruxelles". RTBF (in French). Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  11. ^ "Mee(dailles) met het verhaal van St V | CAVA - Centrum voor". www.cavavub.be (in Flemish). Retrieved 21 January 2024.
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