The Doudou In my part of Belgium, every town, every village, and even every neighborhoods has its "Ducasse". It’s actually a town fest that takes place each year. This tradition has its roots going back to the Middle Age, each town had a dedicated christian saint, and the " Ducasse" was the time when people celebrated the saint, usually by a religious procession around relics. Nowadays, the tradiation has evolved differently in each town and even if it’s still present, the religious part is no longer the main characteristic of the event. This week-end, it’s the Ducasse at Mons, a town situated in the southwestern part of the country, not far from the French border. There, the Ducasse is called the "Doudou". The town saint is "Sainte Waudru". There is a religious procession on Sunday and the relics are placed on the « Car d’or » literally the golden wagon. The Car d’or has to roll in town and, when it comes back to the church, it has to climb up a hill. A local saying states that if it doesn’t climb the hill in one time, great misfortune will fall on town. As a proof, local people always add that the Car d’or didn’t climb in 1914 and 1940, years of the beginning of the two world wars. An other saint keeps the town in its guard, Saint Georges. According to the legend, saint Georges fought and slew a dragon. And so, on Sunday, the fight is reenacted with figurants before the crowd. It’s a tough moment for people keep trying to grab the dragon’s hair which is supposed to bring luck. They’re shoving each other roughly and it’s known that only toughest men are able to remain in front of the scene mostly unharmed. Even if it’s though, the atmosphere is good and people always remain courteous with each other, there’s almost never a fight. There are other animations along the week end, such as a concert on Friday night and fireworks close the Ducasse on Tuesday. There is also a lot of beer drinking, it’s probably the most important time of the year for local bars.