The 643rd edition of the Krakelingen pageant took place in Geraardsbergen in the Flemish Ardennes at the weekend. The practice of drinking living fish was discontinued this year after criticism from animal rights' campaigners. For the first time, the drinking of living fish has been replaced by a “suitable alternative”: catching fish from the pond, placing them in a jar and displaying them on top of Mount Oudenberg in the four directions of the compass. “This way, we can preserve the essence of the ritual: the symbol of new life,” the organisers say.