{
    "title": "Laughing through history: Heritage Day 2026 celebrates humour",
    "modified_at": "2026-04-26 08:40:46",
    "published_at": "2026-04-26 08:40:00",
    "url": "https://www.belganewsagency.eu/laughing-through-history-heritage-day-2026-celebrates-humour",
    "short_url": "http://prez.ly/tIDd",
    "culture": "en_BE",
    "language": "EN",
    "slug": "laughing-through-history-heritage-day-2026-celebrates-humour",
    "body": "<p style=\"text-align: left\"><strong>The 25th edition of Heritage Day places humour centre stage this Sunday, with 737 activities across 552 locations in 247 cities and municipalities. Traditionally held on the first Sunday after the Easter holidays, the event once again opens up the richness of Flemish and Brussels heritage to the public free of charge.</strong></p><p style=\"text-align: left\">Marking its silver jubilee, this year&rsquo;s theme, &ldquo;HAHA Humor&rdquo;, offers both lightness and reflection. &ldquo;We invite people to take laughter seriously: not as an escape from reality, but as a way of looking differently at heritage, society and each other,&rdquo; says Seppe Van Pottelbergh of Heritage Day. While humour may seem universal, the programme highlights how it is shaped by time, place and context.</p><div id=\"video-12f52dae-f941-4d69-b81f-975f91de83af\" class=\"release-content-video release-content-video--embed release-content-video--contained\">\n    <div><div style=\"left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;\"><iframe data-iframely-url=\"https://cdn.iframe.ly/api/iframe?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D67VlL61fwwI%23_cb1777186510&key=8fe6cdec03482ac31f27a6ae8ea2fb3f\" data-img style=\"top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;\" allowfullscreen scrolling=\"no\" allow=\"accelerometer *; clipboard-write *; encrypted-media *; gyroscope *; picture-in-picture *; web-share *;\"></iframe></div></div><script async src=\"https://cdn.iframe.ly/embed.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"></script>\n</div><p style=\"text-align: left\">Across the regions, the theme takes many forms. In Knokke-Heist, the HEY Museum hosts caricaturists, cartoons and stand-up, while nearby the For Freedom Museum and Comic Strip Festival add to the offering. Aalst&rsquo;s Academy of Carnival Arts opens its doors with workshops and lectures on satire, and in Assenede, Lof der Zotheid brings together the absurdist worlds of Herr Seele and Kamagurka. Leuven sees comedian Roosje Perts delve into city archives, while in Diest, Kamiel De Bruyne introduces playful interventions in the museum De Hofstadt.</p><p style=\"text-align: left\">In Brussels, Manneken Pis is explored as a symbol of satire at the Broodhuis, while the KBR highlights medieval humour through manuscripts and creative workshops. Antwerp&rsquo;s comedy caf&eacute; The Joker marks its anniversary with a live recording featuring Alex Agnew and Yasmine Van Suetendael, and in Hasselt, a digital exhibition revisits historic April Fools&rsquo; jokes.</p><p style=\"text-align: left\">Beyond the day itself, the anniversary is also marked with a retrospective publication and a sector-wide celebration in Ghent. Even after 25 editions, Heritage Day continues to demonstrate how the past can still make society smile and think.</p><p><sup><br>\u200bErfgoeddag &copy; PHOTO SMOELENTREKKER</sup></p><hr /><p><strong>Related news</strong></p><div id=\"bookmark-4a06f5e5-1140-46d3-8e28-68749ee49702\"\n     class=\"release-content-bookmark release-content-bookmark--horizontal\">\n\n            <a class=\"release-content-bookmark__thumbnail\"\n           href=\"https://www.belganewsagency.eu/heritage-day-explores-the-meaning-of-home-with-over-900-free-activities\"\n           rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\n           target=\"_blank\"           style=\"background-image: url(https://prezly.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.uc.assets.prezly.com%2F1c6eafbc-e70b-4a33-9fa1-c2ec8285dc40%2F-%2Fpreview%2F600x600%2F?ar=1%3A1&amp;fit=crop&amp;s=10237ec62d69ceaece7c922071ceb642)\"\n        ></a>\n    \n    <div class=\"release-content-bookmark__details\">\n\n                    <a class=\"release-content-bookmark__title\"\n               href=\"https://www.belganewsagency.eu/heritage-day-explores-the-meaning-of-home-with-over-900-free-activities\"\n               rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\n               target=\"_blank\"               data-type=\"bookmark\"\n               data-track=\"Story WebBookmark Click\"\n               data-placement=\"content\"\n               data-id=\"4a06f5e5-1140-46d3-8e28-68749ee49702\"\n           >\n                Heritage Day explores the meaning of home with over 900 free activities            </a>\n        \n                    <div class=\"release-content-bookmark__description\">\n                This Sunday, Heritage Day offers more than 900 free activities throughout Flanders and Brussels exploring the meaning of home            </div>\n        \n        <a href=\"https://www.belganewsagency.eu/\"\n           target=\"_blank\"\n           rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"\n           class=\"release-content-bookmark__provider\"\n        >\n            <img class=\"release-content-bookmark__provider-icon\" src=\"https://avatars.prezly.com/favicon?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.belganewsagency.eu%2Fheritage-day-explores-the-meaning-of-home-with-over-900-free-activities&newsroom=6b71e247-a9ba-4732-aaa3-88be14c119db\" aria-hidden=\"true\" />\n            belganewsagency.eu        </a>\n    </div>\n</div>\n<div id=\"bookmark-68bea21f-a79b-4427-ada8-b274ef90c5b3\"\n     class=\"release-content-bookmark release-content-bookmark--horizontal\">\n\n            <a class=\"release-content-bookmark__thumbnail\"\n           href=\"https://www.belganewsagency.eu/slow-art-day-museums-encourage-visitors-to-experience-art-more-mindfully\"\n           rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\n           target=\"_blank\"           style=\"background-image: url(https://prezly.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.uc.assets.prezly.com%2Ff63c766d-21dd-4699-98e2-5ce78dd7627d%2F-%2Fpreview%2F600x600%2F?ar=1%3A1&amp;fit=crop&amp;s=2ba88a95bc08397d7ffb8b984685890d)\"\n        ></a>\n    \n    <div class=\"release-content-bookmark__details\">\n\n                    <a class=\"release-content-bookmark__title\"\n               href=\"https://www.belganewsagency.eu/slow-art-day-museums-encourage-visitors-to-experience-art-more-mindfully\"\n               rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\n               target=\"_blank\"               data-type=\"bookmark\"\n               data-track=\"Story WebBookmark Click\"\n               data-placement=\"content\"\n               data-id=\"68bea21f-a79b-4427-ada8-b274ef90c5b3\"\n           >\n                Slow Art Day: Museums encourage visitors to experience art more mindfully            </a>\n        \n                    <div class=\"release-content-bookmark__description\">\n                The 16th edition of Slow Art Day takes place today. On Slow Art Day, museums around the world encourage their visitors to experience art in a slow...            </div>\n        \n        <a href=\"https://www.belganewsagency.eu/\"\n           target=\"_blank\"\n           rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"\n           class=\"release-content-bookmark__provider\"\n        >\n            <img class=\"release-content-bookmark__provider-icon\" src=\"https://avatars.prezly.com/favicon?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.belganewsagency.eu%2Fslow-art-day-museums-encourage-visitors-to-experience-art-more-mindfully&newsroom=6b71e247-a9ba-4732-aaa3-88be14c119db\" aria-hidden=\"true\" />\n            belganewsagency.eu        </a>\n    </div>\n</div>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>",
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    "videos": [
        {
            "caption": "HAHA Humor: Erfgoeddag 26 april 2026",
            "thumbnail": "https://img.youtube.com/vi/67VlL61fwwI/maxresdefault.jpg",
            "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67VlL61fwwI",
            "embed": "<div><div style=\"left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;\"><iframe data-iframely-url=\"https://cdn.iframe.ly/api/iframe?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D67VlL61fwwI%23_cb1777186510&key=8fe6cdec03482ac31f27a6ae8ea2fb3f\" data-img style=\"top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;\" allowfullscreen scrolling=\"no\" allow=\"accelerometer *; clipboard-write *; encrypted-media *; gyroscope *; picture-in-picture *; web-share *;\"></iframe></div></div><script async src=\"https://cdn.iframe.ly/embed.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"></script>"
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    "links": [
        {
            "description": "Heritage Day explores the meaning of home with over 900 free activities",
            "url": "https://www.belganewsagency.eu/heritage-day-explores-the-meaning-of-home-with-over-900-free-activities"
        },
        {
            "description": "Slow Art Day: Museums encourage visitors to experience art more mindfully",
            "url": "https://www.belganewsagency.eu/slow-art-day-museums-encourage-visitors-to-experience-art-more-mindfully"
        }
    ],
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