Andrew Peach

David Lewis explains.

It's a centuries-old end-of-winter double festival to celebrate the arrival of spring, featuring dressed-up druids, ancient rituals, charity giveaways and the small matter of the tradition of drinking wine containing live fish, but no more.

The UNESCO Heritage recognised Krakelingen and Teneches brand events took place on Sunday with that tradition filleted.

And why?

It's all down to animal welfare regulations introduced last year.

The imbibing of the small fish is meant to symbolise new life.

and drunk out of a 16th century goblet in the Flemish city of Hradsbergen.

The council had been promising an alternative, but local media have not been able to identify what that was.

Well, this year's theme is Hradsbergen Unites, and it seems to have done anything but.

Some locals, keen on tradition, have been holding up signs saying Ik wil wis...

I want fish to display their dissatisfaction.

The fish eating, or now lack thereof, makes up only a small portion of festivities.

The parade itself starts in a church with a thousand or so participants, many in traditional dress, dancing, singing and playing music to celebrate and remember two and a half thousand years of the city's history.

In the evening, festival goers gather to light a wooden barrel, the Tanachas brand, and the arrival of warmer weeks.

A folk group will then do a stick dance to awaken the earth from its winter sleep and urge a healthy and plentiful harvest for the months ahead.

David Lewis reporting.

And that's all from us for now.

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