Country of my ancestry, which I'm reminded of today because of the feast of St. Nicholas. In my father's childhood this was the true holiday celebration because St. Nick would decorate the tree in his grandfather's parlor with presents underneath. Christmas Sunday was simply a church holiday with a formal family meal. We continue this tradition to this day in my family leaving shoes out by the fire place to be filled with gingerbread and oranges. The memories and smells of holiday begin for me here.
Complex and multifaceted as country, despite its tiny size, Belgium has long been fought over by other countries - Spain, France, the Netherlands and then Germany. In the face of constant occupation the residents of the lowlands - Flanders and Wallonia (Flemish and French speaking) formed one of the first constitutional monarchies in 1830 based on British, American and French models of governance. Despite internal conflicts between French and Flemish, Belgium has contributed much to the stability of Europe particularly now as the seat of the European Union in Brussels.
Complex and multifaceted as country, despite its tiny size, Belgium has long been fought over by other countries - Spain, France, the Netherlands and then Germany. In the face of constant occupation the residents of the lowlands - Flanders and Wallonia (Flemish and French speaking) formed one of the first constitutional monarchies in 1830 based on British, American and French models of governance. Despite internal conflicts between French and Flemish, Belgium has contributed much to the stability of Europe particularly now as the seat of the European Union in Brussels.
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