Christmas Truce Letter Found A letter written by an English general has been found which details how the famous WWI Christmas truce came about. The letter written by General Walter Congreve VC to his wife had been given to the Staffordshire County Council in England in the 1960’s and was just recently unearthed among hundreds of other documents this year.

The Christmas Truce of WWI became legend but historians say letters describing the event are few. General Congreve describes the ceasefi re as “an extraordinary state of affairs.” Gen Congreve, who led the Rifl es Brigade and was positioned at British Headquar-ters near Neuve Chapelle, says it was the Germans who initiated the suspension in hostilities, “this a.m. a German shouted out that they wanted a day’s truce and would one come out if he did. Very cau-tiously one of our men lifted himself above the parapet and saw a German doing the same. Both got out, then more... they have been walking about together all day giving each other cigars and singing songs. Offi cers as well as men were out and the German Colonel himself was talking to one of our captains.”

However, the general said he himself had not joined the truce in case the Germans could not resist taking a shot at such a high-ranking offi cer. “I was invited to go and see the Germans myself but refrained as I thought they might not be able to resist a general.” He also writes he has heard of battalions “further north” playing football - a reference to the fa-mous WWI football match.

“To have such a detailed account from a high ranking offi cer, written on the actual day, is a real gem,” said Ben Adams, the councilor responsible for archives. “The fact the letter has come to light in the year we commemorate the centenary of the Great War makes its existence even more special.”

In Memoriam Luc De Vos November 29, 2014, was a dark day for Belgian music and literature. We lost one of our most talented, witty, eloquent, down-to-earth and kind-hearted artists.

Luc De Vos, best known as lead singer of Flemish rock band Gorki, passed away at the age of 52. Many people, amongst them a lot of fellow

The Belgian Monarchy reported with very great sadness the death of Her Majesty Queen Fabiola on Friday,

December 5th, in the Castle Stuyvenberg of Brussels at the age of 86. She last ap-peared in public on July 31, 2013, at a re-membrance Mass held for her late husband King Baudouin. Fabiola had been in poor health for some time, having breathing problems and needing the use a wheelchair to get around. “She had been very weak since 2009, after contracting pneumonia,” explained Rafi ke Yilmaz, spokeswoman for the Royal Palace.

Doña Fabiola, Fernanda, Maria de las Victorias, Antonia, Adelaïda de Mora y Aragón, was born in Madrid, Spain, on June 11, 1928. From a family of seven children, she was the third daughter of a Spanish count.

On December 15, 1960, she married King Baudouin of Belgium, making her Belgium’s fi fth queen at the age of 32. The couple however remained childless. Upon the death of King Baudouin in 1993, his brother, Albert, ascended to the throne. Fa-biola retained the title of Queen.

Queen Fabiola was socially and cultural-ly engaged with her adopted country and after the death of Queen Elisabeth, widow of King Albert I, in 1965, she took under her High Protection the charity which organizes the Queen Elisabeth of Belgium International Music Competition, of which she was Honorary President.

In September 1993, she accepted the Presiden-cy of the King Baudouin Foundation, established

at the wish of the King in 1976 to mark the 25th anniversary of his reign. The foundation aims to improve the living conditions of the population.

The Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said, “Belgium loses a queen who gave our coun-try an international reputation.” He also praised her for her social and cultural engagements. Mr. Michel added, “We will remember her as a grande dame who has her place in Belgium’s history.”

“The Belgian Connection”VOL. 101 NO. 12 11 DECEMBER 2014

Gedenkplaat for René De Seranno

ZIE BLZ. 3

Belgian Comedy Wins International Emmy

PAGE 17

Holy Blood Procession during WWI

PAGE 22

PERIODICAL POST MAILPaid Roseville, Michigan

BELGIAN NEWS continued on page 9

Queen Fabiola Dies at 86

Jos en Roos Slaets

ZIE BLZ. 10

100th Anniversary Gazette van Detroit Celebrations in BelgiumStory on page 12

Bart Ouvry Discusses the Council of EuropeStory on page 15

Hélène ToyeTalks about American MotherhoodStory on page 16

King Baudouin I and Queen Fabiola of Belgium during a visit to the white House in washington, D.C. in 1969.

IN THIS ISSUE

Editor’s Notebook . . . . . . . . . . 2

In Flanders Fields . . . . . . . . . . 3

From the Chairman . . . . . . . . 4

Digital Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Sprokkels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

100 Jaar Gazette . . . . . . . . . . . 6

On the Gazette Trail. . . . . . . . 7

Club News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Cheery Chatter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Belgian News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Nog altijd even rijk . . . . . . 10

Book News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Paula’s Place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

My Glass is Fuller Here . . . 16

In Touch with Legacy . . . 17

In Memoriam . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

GSFA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Puzzles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Brush up your Flemish . . . 21

Holy Blood Procession . . 22

Son of War & Peace . . . . . 23

Season’s Greetings . . . . . . 24

Onder de Hoge Bescherming van Zijne Majesteit Koning Filip van België Under the Patronage of His Majesty Philippe, King of the Belgians

16 VOLUME 100 ISSUE 12

Hélène Toye (42) is married to Demetre-us, the love of her

life and father of her two children: Eloise (16) and Thibaut (8.5). Hélène grew up in Boechout, and lived in the countryside of Vlaams-Brabant before her family moved to the United States. Last year they bought a house in Bethesda, Mary-land, after spending several years in Washington, D.C.

“At the end of 2008, my husband proudly announced he’d been asked to move to the US to start up an American branch for his Bel-gian employer. My first reaction was one of stubborn refusal. Never would I move to Amer-ica! I loved my life in Belgium and would not quit my job, nor drag my children across the ocean. However, a few months later, I found myself and my two children boarding a plane to join my husband in Washing-ton, D.C.”

How do you like Bethes-da, Maryland?“We lived a few years in the American capital, before mov-ing to the suburbs. Last year we bought a house here, so I guess we’re here now for the long run! I love the luscious nature in Bethesda. It’s very green, even though only 20 minutes from a major city. But it’s the international appeal of the town that speaks to me most. Both my children attend pub-lic schools and are surrounded by kids from all nationalities. Our best friends are Belgian, French, Indian, Chilean, Croa-tian, Dutch, Greek, and Ameri-can… It is very refreshing and enriching to be surrounded by all those different cultures!”

And how about the Americans? “I really appreciate the American posi-tivity and kindness, perceptible in every aspect of life. When you enter a store, staff will help you locate what you are looking for. When you ride the eleva-tor, people will talk to you and inquire about your day. When Americans are

faced with a setback, they will reflect on it for a short while, before finding a cre-ative solution and going for it! Naggers are not liked very much around here. In Bel-gium, nagging is part of our culture and I myself used to be quite the complainer. My glass used to always be half-empty. Not that my glasses are always full here, but they definitely are fuller than they

used to be. The optimism is simply con-tagious!”

Lack of eco consciousness “What I don’t like about many Ameri-cans is the lack of respect for nature and environment. In our area, older houses are replaced by ‘McMansions’; estates with over 5 bedrooms, formal sitting and dining rooms that are hardly ever used, a dazzling number of bathrooms... The basic wooden structure is isolated with a plastic sheet on top of which a thin siding is applied. It makes one won-der about the energy required to keep

the house warm as well as the sustain-ability of the construction itself. Sever-al times a year, the huge yards around those houses feature a multitude of tiny plastic flags. I have come to understand that those little flags warn dog walkers and parents of young children that the lawn has been treated with pesticides, which could be harmful for the small inhabitants of planet earth. That is just plain shocking to me!”

Belgian vs. American mother-hood Hélène’s book, Go West – A Belgian Attempts American Motherhood, is

very popular amongst Belgian and other European expats in the US.

“While the title of my book refers to the differences be-tween Belgian and American motherhood, I do not proclaim to hold the truth about those differences. I wanted my book to be ‘light literature’ and de-void of any ‘morals’. The result is a collection of funny stories that happened due to our Eu-ropean approach to American life. Most Europeans think they know the Americans – I did too – but it really takes liv-ing in the USA to realize that you don’t know about half of their customs. Most of the an-ecdotes in my book are set in an upscale, all-white, Washing-ton D.C. neighborhood, where appearances and social class are very important. ‘Desper-ate Housewives’ and ‘Keep-ing up with the Joneses’ often came to mind. But, I never de-clared that my book compares all American moms to all Bel-gians. Even so, I have gotten feedback from European ex-pats around the US, who read

my book and recognized themselves in many of the situations. So I guess there is a general European versus American approach to parenting.”

“Every child is special” “In DC, when moms get together with their children, conversation is focused on the children. I really had a hard time understanding that in the beginning. I would ask mothers I had just met about their professional background or their

interests, only to be met with frowns, the conversation being redirected to children’s topics. Which children books were we into as a family? Did my child ‘go potty’ yet? How did I deal with tan-trums? Children constantly interrupt adult conversation. And that is generally accepted. Also Americans often overrate their children’s qualities. When I said one day my daughter was just average at math, her teacher replied, ‘Never say your child is average. Every child is spe-cial!’ While my daughter excels at many other things, her mathematical skills re-ally are … average.

Parents around me usually thought their children were angels. Once I saw a kid repeatedly pounding my son’s head.

My Glass is Definitely Fuller Here

Hélène Toye with her husband, Demetreus, and children, Eloise and Thibault.

Leentje De LeeuwCorrespondent

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hélène’s book, Go West – A Belgian Attempts American Motherhood, is available on Amazon.

After her move across the Atlantic, hélène Toye tries to adapt to an American way of life and to her new role as a full-time mom. Time after time, she – or her children – commit faux pas, which put them in awkward situations. As ex-pats everywhere know, speaking the language of the natives doesn’t mean you will understand each other. This collection of stories is bound to make you smile as you watch hélène try to master American rituals like the Parent Coffee and the Neighborhood Listserv. Read more stories on hélène’s blog https://helenetoye.wordpress.com.

HéLéNE TOYE continued on page 22

22 VOLUME 100 ISSUE 12

PuzzleSolutions

Sudoku

Translation Crossword

Kruiswoordraadsel

Crypt-O-Quote

SOLuTION

Take time; make time; there may not be another time.

–Janet Powers

The Procession of the Holy Blood has taken place annually on As-cension Day since the year 1303.

The relic of the Holy Blood was brought to Bruges by Thierry D’Alsace, Count of Flanders in 1149. It was presumably given to him by the Patriarch of Jeru-salem in recognition of his contribution to the First Crusade in the Holy Land. Except for being kept in hiding during the two World Wars, the relic of the Holy Blood of Jesus Christ had never left Bru-ges, and is still kept in the Basilica of St. Basil in the Burg Square.

There are two parts to the mile-long procession: the first by tableaux and floats enacting scenes from the Bible through the coming of Christ and His Resurrection. The second part depicts the return of the Count of Flanders to Bruges.

During WW1, the citizens of Bel-gium fought a tenacious, bloody and unending battle against the most for-midable army in the world, and to the world, the word “Belgian” became a synonym for courage. Even the chil-dren were emboldened to take action. For on May 5, 1918, the citizens of Bru-ges witnessed a power greater than any occupying foe. The military authori-ties had “verboden” all celebrations and processions, but on that day, the children of Bruges bravely marched in

front of their warlords celebrating the Procession of the Holy Blood.

In 2009, the Procession of the Holy Blood was added to the UNESCO rep-resentative list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity. Inscription of the procession on the representative list strengthens the community’s link to its history and its future, raising awareness

of the importance of intangible cultural heritage as an expression of human cre-ativity and cultural diversity.

The Procession of the Holy BloodBy Lee Desender and Amy Pablo

Above: The children of Bruges take part in the Procession of the Holy Blood on May 5, 1918, during wwI.Right: Knights marching in the Procession of the Holy Blood.

Whereas I don’t usually intervene, this really called for my help. So I walked up to the kid - some 5 years older than mine - and asked him why he was doing that. Before he could reply, his mom was standing next to me, asking if I had an issue with her son. I told her what had just happened. ‘No, I didn’t kick him!’ her son said. ‘I only accidentally hit him!’ To which his mother replied, ‘Looks like you have the facts wrong. I guess both kids were in the wrong. Your son was prob-ably annoying mine. Let’s just have them both apologize.’ And that was that!”

Full time moms “Mothering in the Washington D.C. area is a full time activity for many moms. And we are talking about highly-schooled women giving up their job to take care of the children. They compen-

sate for their loss of professional activity by getting (overly) involved in their chil-dren’s activities and in the PTA (‘ouder-comité’). Their children are enrolled in several enrichment classes (Chinese is very popular nowadays, but also math tutoring, Kumon classes, music class-es, chess...) and need to excel in some sport. That’s a lot of pressure, not only on the child, but also on the mom. She’s the one who needs to drive the kids around to all those activities, make sure homework is done for all those different classes and that the child looks picture perfect for school. On top of that her house always has to look like a spread in a Pottery Barn catalog. Just observ-ing those moms is stressful. I chose not to take part in it. My children only do the after-school activities they want and my house is often messy; shoes ly-ing around near the entrance and books scattered on the coffee table.”

Will Hélène’s family always stay in the US? “I have learned not to make long-term plans. However, I promised my daughter she would be able to finish high school in her current school. That means we’re here for at least three more years. By that time, our son will be ready to start middle school. In this neighborhood? Time will tell!

My husband and I don’t see ourselves growing old in the US, but then again, if our children decide to stay here and start families, we might change our minds. On the other hand, I don’t feel like mov-ing back to Belgium. Not that I don’t like my native country. I love it. But having left the gloomy winters behind, I don’t think I’d ever be able to adjust to those again. The south of Europe sounds nice. Who knows, maybe one day …?”

– Leentje De Leeuwfrom-chicago-with-words.blogspot.com

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HéLéNE TOYE continued from page 16