Day of the Walloon Region in Belgium

Fête de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles (French Community) on the fourth Sunday of September, in memory of the victory, in 1830, of the patriots over the Dutch troops in the park of Brussels. The official festival of Wallonia is set for the third Sunday of September.

The Walloon celebrations were launched at the end of the 19th century in Liege by the first movements to assert the Walloon consciousness, which made them the symbol of the fight against "Dutchization". Recognized by the Walloon Assembly in 1913, their first organized celebration took place in Verviers, that year.

It is however from 1923 that the Walloon militant and politician from Namur François Bovesse ensures their durability and their development, by giving them a dimension at the same time political and popular. His goal is to mobilize the Walloons for the promotion of their identity and the defense of their rights. The festivities kept this double dimension, both festive and militant, throughout the decades, echoing the Walloons' demands for political autonomy. After the creation of the Walloon Region in 1980, it is this symbol and this tradition deeply rooted in several Walloon cities and municipalities that the Walloon Parliament unanimously consecrates by the decree of July 23, 1998.