Belgian National Day
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- 1831Leopold I takes oath as first King of the Belgians
- 1830Belgian Revolution — independence from the Netherlands
- 1993Belgium becomes a federal state
Why Belgium celebrates 21 July
On 21 July 1831, Leopold of Saxe-Coburg took the oath as the first King of the Belgians in Brussels, formally establishing the independent Belgian state. The date marks the culmination of the Belgian Revolution of 1830, in which a popular uprising — sparked partly by an opera performance — led to separation from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The revolution had its roots in economic and cultural tensions between the Catholic, predominantly French-speaking south and the Protestant, Dutch-speaking north. Belgium had been united with the Netherlands at the Congress of Vienna in 1815, but the arrangement proved unstable. When fighting broke out in Brussels in August 1830, it quickly spread and the Dutch army withdrew.
Belgian National Day is celebrated with a military parade on the Boulevard du Régent in Brussels, attended by the royal family. The evening brings fireworks at the Atomium and free open-air concerts across the country. The day is one of the few occasions that unites Dutch-speakers, French-speakers and the German-speaking community in shared celebration.
- 202621 July 2026 · Tuesday
- 202721 July 2027 · Wednesday
- 202821 July 2028 · Friday
The Belgian flag has three vertical bands of black, yellow and red. The colours derive from the coat of arms of the Duchy of Brabant — a golden lion with red claws on a black field. The flag was adopted in 1831 and remains one of the few tricolours with vertical rather than horizontal bands in its original canton colours.
Belgian cuisine punches far above its weight for a small country — chocolate, beer, waffles and fries are exports known worldwide, but Belgian cooking also includes rich stews, fresh seafood and refined French-influenced dining.
What to eat
Moules-fritesSteamed mussels in white wine and shallots served with a mountain of thin crispy fries — Belgium's national dish.
Belgian friesDouble-fried in beef fat and served in paper cones with sauce andalouse or mayonnaise — the original fries.
Carbonnade flamandeRich beef stew slow-cooked in Belgian dark ale with thyme and bay leaves.
WaterzooiCreamy chicken or fish stew from Ghent — vegetables simmered in broth with cream.
Belgian waffleTwo kinds: the Brussels waffle (rectangular, airy) and the Liège waffle (denser, pearl sugar embedded).
SpeculoosSpiced shortcrust biscuits flavoured with cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger — eaten year-round.What to drink
Belgian Trappist beerChimay, Rochefort, Westmalle — some of the world's greatest beers brewed by monks in Belgian abbeys.
GueuzeSpontaneously fermented lambic beer from Brussels — tart, complex and unique to the Senne valley.
Belgian hot chocolateThick, dark drinking chocolate made from real couverture — served in Brussels cafés year-round.Belgium culture
Belgium's cultural identity is complicated and multilayered — but its comics, chocolate, architecture and surrealist art tradition are recognised worldwide. National Day is one of the rare moments of collective Belgian pride.
Military paradeThe royal family attends the parade on the Boulevard du Régent — the central annual ceremony of the Belgian state.
Belgian chocolateBelgium produces some of the world's finest chocolate — pralines were invented here in 1912.
Comic strip artBelgium is the birthplace of Tintin, the Smurfs and Lucky Luke — Brussels has a Comic Strip Route through the city.
AtomiumThe landmark steel atom structure built for the 1958 World's Fair — lit up for fireworks on National Day.