A disturbance was caused in the center of , when on the morning of Saturday 29 November municipal authorities found that the head of Theus had been stolen from the “Étoffes de la Nativité” manger in the historic Grote Markt.
The figure was spotted without its cloth head, which had been removed by unknown persons during the night.
According to the response of the Brussels Morning Newspaper, the police were immediately notified, as the incident is considered vandalism in a public Christmas facility.
However, as the representative of the mayor Philippe Clos, Victor Kanyanzira, states, such incidents are not rare:
“Unfortunately, it happens every year. The head will be replaced,” he noted, downplaying the seriousness of the incident.
Figures without faces
This year’s manger, created by Victoria-Maria, presents a completely different aesthetic: faceless figures made from colorful recycled fabrics in an attempt to express the concept of inclusion and shared human identity.
The project, which premiered on November 26, 2025 and will remain until 2029, replaces the wooden manger that adorned the square for 25 years.
However, the artistic approach did not find everyone agreeable. The unusual, abstract figures provoked strong reactions, which peaked after the intervention of the politician Georges-Louis Bouchet in X.
Boucher called the composition “an insult to our traditions” and called for its immediate replacement, arguing that the figures looked “more like zombies in Brussels stations than a real manger”.
His post reignited public debate about how Christmas customs should be rendered in a modern, multicultural city.
For now, authorities say the manger will remain in place.
