Brussels’ famous Manneken Pis statue marks Romanian Traditional Costume Day

The well-known Manneken Pis statue in Brussels was dressed in the traditional Romanian costume of a călușar dancer to mark Romanian Traditional Costume Day on Sunday, May 10. The outfit was presented on the Facebook page of the Romanian Embassy in the Kingdom of Belgium.

The bronze little boy was dressed in authentic călușar clothing and received Romania’s tricolor ribbons. The Căluș, the ritual dance accompanied by this costume, has been included since 2005 in UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage of humanity list.

Manneken Pis, which in Dutch means “Little Boy Peeing,” is also known by the French name “Petit Julien.” The statue was installed in 1618. There are four legends connected to Manneken Pis, the most widespread being the one according to which the little boy, through his gesture, extinguished a fire that was about to engulf the entire city.

The tradition of dressing the statue dates back at least to the 17th century, and after World War I, the statue received a new costume every year.

The wardrobe of Manneken Pis, one of the most famous clothing collections in the world, currently includes around 1,000 costumes, each inventoried and preserved as a work of art, as an integral part of the heritage of the City of Brussels.

(Photo source: Ambasada României în Regatul Belgiei on Facebook)