Unveil the mysteries of Belgium's clandestine erotic parties;
✔ Decadent parties emulating the ambiance of 'Eyes Wide Shut', gather hundreds for intimate encounters
✔ Membership spans from CEOs to store clerks
✔ Distinct from traditional swingers' parties, these events champion 'erotic dating', focusing on connection rather than just carnal desires
Fyodor Dostoevsky once wrote that "in sinning, each person sins against all, and each person is at least partly guilty for another's sin. There is no isolated sin."
Don and Elle (not their real names) appear to have played out the great Russian writer's musings almost literally. They are the chief organisers of 'Sindays': parties in which dozens, and sometimes hundreds, of people meet to have sex with one another.
According to Don, the idea to organise these erotic gatherings came after watching the late Stanley Kubrick's classic film 'Eyes Wide Shut', which includes an infamous extended orgy sequence featuring Venetian masks inside a mansion.
"This is how the idea arose to organise parties with that real 'Eyes Wide Shut' atmosphere, with decadent luxury where the bar is a few notches above the mainstream," Don, 52, told Het Laatste Nieuws.
While Don tends to be the visionary behind each event, Elle makes the magic happen. She recounts that the most extravagant 'Sinday' to date was a party involving hundreds of people inside a church.
"I take care of the practical matters," Elle, 37, explained. "I look at the numbers and try to find out if Don's ideas are feasible. At a party in the church there were 570 people. At our smaller, exclusive parties there are twenty to thirty couples. One of those parties took place in an old, secluded World War II bunker. We first scooped out sand for a few days before we could start decorating."
'We call it erotic dating'
The 'Sinners' society is highly secretive – and selective. It has a Facebook group featuring more than 1,500 members which is impossible to find as an outsider and which you can only join if another 'sinner' nominates you. According to Don and Elle, members range from 23 to 60 years of age and include all kinds of people, from wealthy CEOs to mere store clerks.
"Our members are very careful about who they introduce [to us]," Elle said. "Their own name and membership are at stake. Nobody gets in without being screened. We do this by inquiring about them at other clubs: it's a small world. We have full control over who comes to the parties. That's the only way to keep it safe."
The parties usually start at 19:00 and end at 03:00; tickets cost between €130 and €200. Each event has a unique dress code, without which you will be refused entry. Recent themes include the British comedy series ''Allo, 'Allo!', 'Berlin Underground', and 'Playboy Mansion'.
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The group also has its own terminology: 'dragons' are single bisexual men, while 'unicorns' are single females. Elle explained that dragons and unicorns offer a particularly desirable combination for other members, because "they provide an easy opportunity for a threesome".
Elle was keen to stress that the events are not mere orgies or swingers' parties, but something much more sophisticated: "Let me be clear, they are not gangbang parties nor are they decadent parties where drugs are rampant. This is anything but the case. We call it erotic dating. Sex can and does happen, we shouldn't be stupid about that."
"But it is not an obligation, nor necessarily the intention. Sometimes couples do nothing at parties but exchange data to meet afterwards, privately." She added: "We never participate ourselves; you can't do that as an organiser. We like to watch though."
