It is organised by the Companions of St Lawrence, a city association, and is accompanied by processions and various folk activities during the day.

One afternoon, a group from Leuven turned up in force and unexpectedly attacked one of these guinguettes, Het Cattenhuys, where a wedding was being celebrated.

The Companions of St Lawrence, a city guild whose members were present in the establishment, came to the aid of Brussels' inhabitants and vigorously repelled the aggressor.

As a tribute to the new corporation, the plantation date was set to 9 August, the eve of St Lawrence's Day, the guild's patron saint.

[9] In spite of Brussels' tortuous history, including the 20th-century demolition of most of the Marais–Jacqmain district (see Brusselisation), the Meyboom tradition has been maintained throughout the centuries.

[a] In 1831, with circumstances difficult and money scarce due to Belgium gaining its independence, the men of the neighbourhood were reluctant to continue organising the ceremony.

The Meyboom's organisers, furious and distraught, immediately contacted the police and the thieves were arrested at the entrance to Leuven.

In its current version, the tree is designated by the city's Plantation Department and "chosen" by the Companions of St Lawrence in the Bois de la Cambre/Ter Kamerenbos.

It ends in apotheosis when a valiant Bûûmdroeger climbs the tree to attach the Belgian flag, accompanied by the brass band which begins playing a tune by André Grétry entitled Where can one be better than within his family (1769), followed by The Brabançonne (Belgium's national anthem).