Celebration of the Golden Spurs
National Holiday in Belgium, observed by the Flemish Community
In 1302 the French king Philip IV of France dispatched an army to punish the rebellious Flemish towns, led by Bruges. Earlier that year Philip IV had annexed Flanders. The Flemish rebelled and attacked the French governor of Flanders.
The French army was composed of about 8,00 knights and infantry. The Flemish army, consisted of a militia force of 9,000 infantrymen. The two forces clashed on July 11 1302 on a field just outside the Flemish city of Kortrijk. The French were totally defeated.
The commander of the French army, Robert II of Arlois was surrounded and killed on the battlefield. At least a thousand French knights were killed in the battle and number of the golden spurs collected from the field was so large as to gave the battle its name.
In the 19th century, the battle was romanticised by Flemish writer Hendrik Conscience in his book The Lion of Flanders and the Battle of the Golden Spurs became a symbol of the struggle for Flemish recognition in the French-dominated Belgian State.
On 6 July 1973, a law was passed that established the flag, anthem and the day of the Dutch Cultural Community.
Private employers are not required to award a day's holiday; however the institutions of the Flemish Government and public employers observe this holiday.
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