Kermesse (festival)
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Oil on canvas, 157 x 221 cm, Royal Museums of Fine Arts, Brussels
Kermesse or kermis, is a Dutch language term derived from 'kerk' (church) and 'mis' (mass) that became borrowed in English and French, originally denoting the mass said on the anniversary of the foundation of a church (or the parish) and in honour of the patron. Such celebrations were regularly held in the Low Countries and also in northern France, and were accompanied by feasting, dancing and sports of all kinds.
These festivities still survive in the form of funfairs, while the old allegorical representations are now uncommon. Whereas nearly every village has a kermis once or twice a year, the large Zuidfoor aka Foire du Midi (South Fair) of Brussels and Sinksenfoor (Whitsun Fair) of Antwerp attract many visitors during several weeks. The funfair on the Vrijdagmarkt in Ghent coincides with the 10-day long Gentse Feesten (Ghent Festivities) which are held across the entire inner city around the 21st of July (Belgian national holiday).
The standard Dutch language expression Vlaamse kermis (Flemish kermesse) once referred to the local village kermesse (as pronounced in the former County of Flanders) though its modern usage is mainly limited to privately organized fairs open to the public, often for fund-raising, such as by Catholic schools or youth organisations in the Flemish Region.
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[edit] Impact on other languages and cultures
The word Kermesse (generally in the form Kirmess) is applied in the United States to any entertainment, especially one organized in the interest of charity. The Dutch-American Village of Little Chute, Wisconsin has celebrated Kermis annually since 1981. Another American polity that celebrates this holiday is La Kermesse of Biddeford, Maine. The International School of Indiana, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, holds an annual Kermesse celebration with refreshments, carnival games and face painting to celebrate the ending of the school year for their pre-elementary and elementary students. In the City of Halifax (Canada), a city with a limited Dutch heritage, kermesses have been held since 1907 [1] as fund raisers for the local children's hospital.
The term has also had an influence on Latin American culture. Specifically in Mexico, Peru and Chile, "Kermeses" are held by churches and schools to raise funds. Many activities take place including "tombolas" where people buy tickets for drawings that always have awards from very minor items to bigger awards.
The word also entered the Belarusian language as "кiрмаш" (kirmash) in the meaning of "fair".
In the Turkish language "kermes" is a sale of ladies' handiwork for charity.
In Lithuanian language "kermošius" (kermoshius) means a fair after the mass in the church.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain. (1911). Itself naming as source :
Boulger, Demetrius C., Belgian Life in Town and Country (1904). - Kermis van Brussel - Zuidkermis (Dutch). / Foire du Midi 2007 : davantage de convivialité (French) (2007). With short history : Beknopte historiek (pdf) (Dutch). / Aperçu historique (pdf) (French). (assumedly 2005) — Both texts in each language : City of Brussels. Retrieved on 2007-08-07.
- Brinks, Herbert J. Dutch Americans. Retrieved on 2007-08-08. “One village, Little Chute, however, does continue to promote its Dutch ethnicity with a mid-September celebration (kermis), featuring a Dutch-costume parade, games, and craft exhibits.”
[edit] External links
- Kermis van Brussel - Zuidkermis (Dutch). / Foire du Midi 2007 : davantage de convivialité (French) (2007). With short history : Beknopte historiek (pdf) (Dutch). / Aperçu historique (pdf) (French). (assumedly 2005) — Both texts in each language : City of Brussels. Retrieved on 2007-08-07.
* Old photographs of the Brussels fair (collection Jean-Pierre Roels) : C'était au temps où bruxelles brussellait (comments in French). Roels, Jean-Pierre (on blogspot). Retrieved on 2007-08-07.
