Vissenaken residents celebrate sint-Maarten with a renovated giant

Residents of Vissenaken, a village in the Tienen region of Belgium, celebrated the annual Sint-Maarten festival with a parade featuring the local giant, Maarten op zijn paard.

The community gathered to watch the parade, which is a central part of the local festivities where people eat and drink together. The event concluded with a fire act to represent light at the start of the winter season.

This giant is part of a broader local tradition of large figures that includes the well-known giants Jan and Mie. The people who carry the giant made several upgrades to the figure this year. They replaced the heavy base with an aluminum frame to make the structure lighter for the six people who carry it. They also replaced the horse's head entirely to give the giant a refreshed appearance.