In Houtem, near Vilvoorde (Flemish Brabant), a pig's head was raffled during the annual Saint Anthony's Day celebrations. It’s a centuries-old tradition in this Flemish Brabantic municipality. Residents gather in the square outside the church for a street party in honour of Saint Anthony. Pig's trotters, tails and tripe are raffled during a tombola. The pig's head is the top prize. This year it was Dominique from Vilvoorde who won big.
Saint Anthony has been the patron saint of Houtem for over two centuries. The saint was mainly revered as a protector against infectious diseases in humans and animals and also became the patron saint of butchers. The link with pigs originated in the Middle Ages, when the Friars of Saint Anthony kept pigs to feed the sick.
Pig's trotters, tripe and tails
The highlight of the Saint Anthony festival is the tombola. You can win pig's trotters, tripe, pig's tails and even a pig's head. It is a real honour to win the pig's head, because that is the top prize. That is not to everyone’s taste, because it is not easy to prepare a pig's head.
‘No one can spoil our fun here today. It is your party, and the raffle is for this beast. If you want to win my pig's trotters, buy lots of tickets,’ says the master of ceremonies, kicking off the party with some poetic licence.
Ticket number 99
This year, the pig's head went to Dominique from Vilvoorde. ‘I come here every year because it's a lovely tradition. I thought I had a ticket with number 66, but it's a number 99, and that's the top prize. I don't know just yet what I'm going to do with the pig’s head. I think I'll give it to someone who knows how to prepare it!’