Laetare and Chinels Carnival

The Chinel exists only in Fosses-la-Ville: a hunchbacked dancer, cousin of Punchinello, dressed in brightly coloured satin and armed with a wooden sword. At Laetare, three weeks before Easter, 200 to 300 Chinels and more than 700 participants in all bring the town to life. On Saturday the groups (the 'soces') are gathered from the morning in a relaxed, costumed mood. On Sunday the parade moves from the Salle de l'Orbey to Place du Marché with the Chinels bringing up the rear, and around 6 pm they dance their final rondeau, each costume colour trying to outdo the others. On Monday the folk groups go out one last time; the 2027 programme has yet to be confirmed by the Société Royale Les Chinels.