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🇧🇪 Belgium /Culture & Society

Maaseik celebrates 50 years of its knapkoek festival with 18 giants

From VRT NWS · () Dutch

Translated from Dutch and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Outcome reported
  • Eighteen giants paraded through Maaseik to mark the 50th anniversary of Riddart and the 50th edition of the knapkoek festival.
  • Organizers baked a traditional three-meter knapkoek in a wood-fired oven, then broke it up and distributed it to visitors.
  • Riddart returned to the streets after 22 years, alongside giants from Flanders and Brussels.

For the first time, 18 giants marched through the center of Maaseik as the town celebrated two 50th anniversaries: the knapkoek festival and the birth of Riddart, the card knight of Heppeneert.

I find it a great honor, because giant Riddart is part of history and belongs to Maaseik's cultural life. And perhaps he will learn to sing, starting tomorrow.

· Kelly PoukensThe singer speaking after becoming godmother of the giant Riddart.

Riddart had not appeared outside for 22 years. On Sunday, he returned to the streets with 17 other giants from Flanders and Brussels. The giant had also been formally adopted the previous evening by D'Awt Prinse van het Heilig Wammes, an association of former city princes and former council members of Maaseik's carnival principality.

Singer Kelly Poukens became Riddart's godmother, while Lei Peeters became his godfather. "I find it a great honor, because giant Riddart is part of history and belongs to Maaseik's cultural life. And perhaps he will learn to sing, starting tomorrow," Poukens said.

The oven has been restored several times, but for the rest everything is done according to the traditional method.

· Richard JacobsThe baker describing how the festival's giant knapkoek is made.

The festival's other centerpiece was a giant knapkoek, a three-meter butter biscuit baked in a special wood-fired oven before being broken up and shared with visitors. Baker Richard Jacobs said the oven had been restored several times, but the baking method remained traditional. He attended the first festival as a 15-year-old apprentice and took part in the 50th edition as well.

At the first edition I was only 15 and still an apprentice. Later I learned how to fire the oven, and now I have been involved for the 50th time. I enjoy it enormously.

· Richard JacobsJacobs recalling his five decades of involvement in the festival.

Knapkoek remains a signature product of Maaseik. The flat biscuit, topped with coarse sugar, developed from the durable ship's biscuits baked there since 1648 for boats using the Maas River. Its name refers to the cracking sound made when the biscuit breaks. Two bakers in Maaseik still produce it today.

I hope they continue this for many years, because then I can come back again.

· VisitorA visitor expressing support for the continuation of the Maaseik tradition.
About this summary

Originally published by VRT NWS in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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