The Belgian Sense of Humor

This may be the most difficult aspect about visiting Belgium to convey. It's something I've had a lot of experience with, but I wouldn't know where to begin to put it into words. The Belgians, like the British and the Americans, have their unique sense of humor.

Aside from talking to individuals, comic books and Carnival seemed to be two locations where it came up. Comic books are an important aspect of Belgian culture, serving as both pleasure and social commentary. Political cartoons are frequent in Belgium, and they rarely hold back. The floats and costumes I saw at the Aalst Carnival were similar, with plenty of political and social commentary.

All of this means that Belgians can be a little self-deprecating and provocative at times. Of course, in broad terms. It may or may not come up in your daily encounters in Belgium, but it's important knowing about if it does.