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Belgian Catholic CeremoniesFunerals, baptism, and communion in the country's northern FlandersHere is some statistical background information on the Catholicism of Belgium and Flanders, to accompany the articles on "Food for Special Occasions".
Some articles highlight the candy given at birth in Belgium. There's also a special Flemish ritual involving the dessert that tops the festive meal after the Catholic ceremony of the First Communion. And then there's a sober meal at Flemish funerals. To accompany these articles, here's a little background information on the Catholic ways of the country of Belgium and its northern half, Flanders. The European Values Study of 1999-2000, showed that 63% of the Belgian population thinks of itself as belonging to a church or a religious community. But of these 63%, only 11% actually attends mass, and most of the church goers were born before 1940. Of the generations born after 1970, only 4% attends mass weekly. Still, 64% of newborns are given a Catholic baptism, about 60% of the children get a First Communion, and an overwhelming 76% of the funerals are Catholic. That is to say, a Belgian is more likely to show up at a baptism, communion ceremony, or a funeral... than at mass! These numbers though are expected to decline sharply over the next couple of decades as the next generations lose the need to keep religious traditions alive just for the sake of tradition. More articles related to religious culinary traditions:A blessed treat: Saint Hubert mastellen
The copyright of the article Belgian Catholic Ceremonies in Belgium Travel is owned by Katrien Vander Straeten. Permission to republish Belgian Catholic Ceremonies in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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