Kuurne facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kuurne
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 Kuurne
Location in Belgium
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| Country | Belgium | ||
| Community | Flemish Community | ||
| Region | Flemish Region | ||
| Province | West Flanders | ||
| Arrondissement | Kortrijk | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 10.01 km2 (3.86 sq mi) | ||
| Population
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| • Total | Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1,575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | ||
| Postal codes |
8520
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| Area codes | 056 | ||
| Website | www.kuurne.be | ||
Kuurne is a town in Belgium. It's located in the West Flanders province. Kuurne is a smaller place, with only the main town making up the whole area. In 2006, about 12,591 people lived there. The town covers an area of 10.01 square kilometers. This means it's quite busy, with about 1258 people living in each square kilometer! The Leie River acts as a natural boundary between Kuurne and a nearby town called Harelbeke.
Contents
Why Kuurne People Are Called 'Donkeys'
People from Kuurne are often called 'donkeys'. This nickname has two interesting stories behind it.
The Market Story
One story says that people from nearby Kortrijk gave them this name. Traders from Kuurne would wake up very early. They would load their carts with vegetables. These carts were pulled by donkeys. As they headed to the Kortrijk market, the carts would rattle. The donkeys would also bray loudly. This noise would wake up the people of Kortrijk. They would then say, "Oh, it's those donkeys from Kuurne again!"
The Priest's Tale
Another story is more like a legend. It talks about a priest who had a funeral on Ash Wednesday. He asked his assistant, called a sacrister, to help with a church service. The sacrister needed to say some Latin words. These words were "Memento, homo, quia pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris." This means, "Remember, man, that dust you are, and to dust you will return." He also had to put a cross of ash on people's foreheads.
But the sacrister couldn't remember the Latin words. The priest became frustrated. He told the sacrister, "You were born an ass, and you will die an ass!" The sacrister thought this was the phrase he needed to remember. So, he started saying it to the people of Kuurne while giving them their ash crosses.
Ambroos the Donkey
The most famous donkey in Kuurne is 'Ambroos'. This is a large, artistic statue. You can find it in front of the town hall. There's also a famous bike race called Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne. The winner of this race gets a big bouquet of flowers. They also receive a soft toy version of 'Ambroos' to wave to the crowd.
Sister Cities
Kuurne has special connections with other towns around the world. These are called 'sister cities' or 'twin towns'. They often share cultural events and visits.
Kuressaare, Estonia (since 1998)
Chiuza, Romania (since 1999)
Marcq-en-Baroeul, France (since 1945)
See also
In Spanish: Kuurne para niños
