Carnival de Binche, Belgium

The time is now to reserve your car rental for Belgium's amazing Carnival de Binche in February.  Featuring music, parades and fireworks, this famous event culminates with a pummeling of oranges unequaled around the world.  The festivities take place in the town of Binche and you can get there with a cheap car rental from Brussels Airport.

The roots of this carnival go back to the 14th century, but it's costumes and festivities are related most to 16th century traditions.  Street performances, public displays, dancing, marching and more begin on the Sunday preceding Ash Wednesday in February.  The festivities are carried out over three days on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, when the final act is performed by clown-like performers called "Gilles."  

The Gilles are have a very characteristic and vibrant dress, accompanied by a startlingly strange wax mask and wooden footwear.  They carry special sticks to "ward off spirits," and conclude the day with a large hat with an ostrich plume.  With all this, dressing as a Gille in the carnival is considered an honor which local men aspire to.  Don't miss the chance to see their wild performances with a cheap car rental in Belgium.  

Called "a masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity," this festival is obviously a must see for any carnival lover.  What I still don't understand after reading about it is why the Gilles throw oranges at the crowd?  I suppose as far as festivals go it's not the most outlandish abuse of fruit we've seen; remember Tomatina in Spain?  Attend the best festivals around the world with cheap car rental rates in over 10,000 locations from CarHIreX.com.