The costume of the " Gilles " character is very famous in Belgian carnivals. This character can be seen every week-end (during the carnival season ) in very small villages where he is the main attraction.

In Binche whose first written records date back to 1394, the carnival is recognized as a masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO since 2003. The Carnival of Binche culminates on Mardi Gras, the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, with the only official, codified outing of the some 1000 Gilles of Binche from thirteen companies following a strict code of dress and tradition.