Introduction

Postcards, playing cards, snow shakers, corkscrews all can be obtained with a picture of Manneken Pis and, for customers with a bigger budget, replica fountains stand chained in a row. The waffle shop at no. 42 advertises its trade with a giant Manneken Pis, draped in a Belgian flag and eating a waffle. A similar, smaller, sculpture stands in one window of Leonidas Fresh Belgian Chocolates. In the world of student folklore, Manneken Pis is the emblem of students from Brussels, who may wear a badge in the shape of the statue on their hat and who end their regional song with a triple shout of 'Manneken Pis'. One of the most durable interpretations of Manneken Pis is as a representative of its city. As such, it has been incorporated into the city's festive moments from at least 1720, when it was decorated as part of a civic procession.