Once a year, the Gille of Binche steps into the streets, carrying a tradition shaped over centuries. His costume is assembled with care, by his wife and local artisans who fill him up with straw. Feathers rise above him, bells mark his movement, wooden clogs set the rhythm. He moves through the city in all weather, though it is in the light that his presence fully reveals itself. On the beat of the drums he trows oranges as an offering to celebrate Mardi Gras and begin the Lenten period.
