Houtem Jaarmarkt is an annual trade fair held on 11 (St. Martin's Day) and 12 November every winter in the Belgian village of Sint-Lievens-Houtem in the southeast of the province of East Flanders. Each year, this village becomes home to the country's last significant open-air market for cattle and purebred horses. It is also known as Market Hautema (Dutch) or the Winterjaarmarkt (Winter Annual Market).
According to legend, Saint Livius of Ghent (Sint-Lieven Van Gent) was murdered here on November 12, 657, and eventually, his tomb became a pilgrimage site around which a fair was named in honor of him. The Houtemjaarmarkt first appears in a 1634 document from the bailiff Land Van Aalst. It is unknown to which old memories they refer since the summer fair is held at the same location. The fair, which specialized in cattle and horses, increased in importance in the 18th and 19th centuries. The legendary Bockenrieder ("Stallion Rider"), Jan de Lichte, also dates from this period.
There are hundreds of dealers displaying their animals proudly before judges, fellow traders, farmers, and thousands of enthusiastic spectators. Many travels from across the country to see the 500 stallholders and other traders: observing, touching, handling, and purchasing agricultural machinery or animals, and witnessing transactions that still use traditional negotiating methods such as handclapping. There are more than 600 horses for sale as well as twice as many cows. This fair is a major event in the livestock industry's calendar. Every year, a different foreign region displays its attractions, regional products, and craftsmanship at the fair, facilitating interactions between livestock breeders, farmers, and artisans from different countries.
A campaign around the Houtem Jaarmarkt has been organized by Erfgoed Viersprong and Heemkunde Houtem every year since 2011. A particular focus is placed on safeguarding this intangible cultural heritage. Each year, Erfgoed Viersprong and Heemkunde Houtem attempt to bring the heritage elements of Houtem Jaarmarkt to the forefront in an original way. A real heritage column is launched in 2017. Each column gives more information about the fair's origin, the animal market's uniqueness, and how fun was incorporated into the annual market along with a lot of interesting facts. Nowadays, the fair and market have a big impact on local communities as private homes are turned into public gathering places for food, music, and drinks, thus the whole village becomes an open space for welcome during these two days. Hopefully, by organizing these actions and ensuring this heritage can be passed on to future generations.
References
(https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/houtem-jaarmarkt-annual-winter-fair-and-livestock-market-at-sint-lievens-houtem-00403) (https://hr-m-wikipedia-org.translate.goog/wiki/Houtem_Jaarmarkt?_x_tr_sl=hr&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=id&_x_tr_pto=sc) (https://rove.me/to/belgium/houtem-jaarmarkt) (https://erfgoedviersprong-be.translate.goog/erfgoedproject/houtem-jaarmarkt/?_x_tr_sl=nl&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=id&_x_tr_pto=sc) |Subject=Entertainment and Recreation |Country=Belgium |SDG=(08) Decent Work and Economic Growth, (09) Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, (11) Sustainable Cities and Communities, (12) Responsible Consumption and Production }}