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Around
the end of November / beginning of December, the "Klees'chen" (cf
picture below) can be seen on many occasions as he comes to all the shops,
and receives the children for photosessions. Legend has it that "Klees'chen"
brought back to life 3 children who were savagely killed by a butcher,
ready to be turned into sausages. Being a good-natured children-loving
sort of a guy, he promptly resurrected the kids with God's allmighty help
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| "Klees'chen",
in fact, is none else but St. Nicholas. During the night of the 5th to
the 6th December (his day) he and his counterpart "Hoùseker"
(=Black Peter) enter the houses and bring the children presents in the
guise of (originally oranges and nuts and the occasional pair of socks)
toys which can range from simple Lego to complex computers. The children
put out plates on which the legendary figures bestow their gifts. But
already days, nay weeks beforehand the children put their shoes daily
on the windowsill or in front of their bedroom door, so that "Kleeschen"
-who goes his rounds to check on children to see whether they deserve
any presents- can drop chocolates and other sweets into them. Hoùseker
is dressed in coarse black clothes and he carries sticks with which he
is said to chastise naughty children. On the afternoon of the first Sunday preceeding December 6th (in 2011 that will be on Dec 4, between 2 and 5 pm), "Klees'chen" [and "Hoùseker"] arrive in town at the railway station and dole out sweets to kids on their parade to the City Town Hall (cf picture on the right) |
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| As for Christmas itself, you can see that with "Klees'chen" around, Father Christmas has a lot of rivalry. In Luxembourg, the baby Christ is said to bring the Christmas gifts overnight, although the custom probably differs from family to family. In the early evening on Christmas Eve the whole family gathers around the Christmas tree for snacks and talks (A Christmas tree is almost a Must in our country). At midnight many a family goes to Midnight Mass, always a welcome excuse for children to stay up long. The presents which lie under the tree are opened either before or after church. | ||||||||
| Since we have our own language in Luxembourg (Lëtzebuergesch), we say "Schéi Chrëschtdeeg" for "Merry Christmas", which transliterates into 'have nice christmas-days'. | ||||||||
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Traditional
foods over the Christmas period are "Stollen", a kind of fruit loaf
with rum as cake and "Bûche de Noël" as icecream (both are
in the shape of a log). On Christmas Day the traditional dinner often
features Black pudding or civet of hare, or venison, or ..., but it
may also consist of turkey like in Britain or the States (The main thing
seems to be that there must be millions of calories). After the meal
the whole family likes to go for a walk which is particularly nice if
there is snow. Boxing Day is spent in a similar fashion, eg eating vast
quantities of food, which is done -more often than not- whilst visiting
friends and relatives.
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During the weeks before Christmas, markets flourish all over the country. From wooden huts that are set up on town and city squares, all sorts of christmassy goods are on sale: locally produced arts and crafts (candles, Christmas trees and decorations, cribs, music, etc), and of course plenty of food and drink to warm you from the inside. The latter include the obligatory mulled wines, as well as the stronger stuff (eg Schnaps, known as "Drëpp"). Foods on sale include various soups (with or without Mettwurscht [a local sausage speciality]), pancakes, Thüringer, ... , plus the unpronounceable: "Gromperekichelcher". The bandstand in the centre of the square is also very much in use: A whole host of local bands, fanfares, choirs, etc, are performing, bringing to life the true Christmas atmosphere. | |||||||
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Christmas
Markets 2011 in Luxembourg City will be as follows:
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On
Sunday, December 11, 2011, is Luxembourg City's big Christmas
Parade. Now in its 8th edition it never fails to draw huge crowds.
Decorated floats parade to the sound of marching bands through the city streets in a sea of lights, many of them throwing out candy to the delight of all the children lining the route from the railway station (start at 4:45 pm) to the statue of the "Golden Lady". This year's event promises to eclipse all its predecessors with more than 500 participants, 25 attractions, 9 international bands and in excess of 2.5 tons of candy. No wonder the organisers expect some 50000 visitors! |
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The Luxembourg City Tourist Office will be closed on both Christmas and Boxing Day, but they will run an [English-language] "City promenade" walking tour through the city at 2 pm on Saturday (meet in front of the office on Place Guillaume). Museums in the city will be closed on Christmas day itself (Saturday), but they will be open on Sunday (Boxing Day). |
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| New
Year
is very much celebrated on New Year's Eve. There are a good dozen different
"Bal"s (=dancing) in Luxembourg-city, and many more outside the capital.
Around midnight, fireworks reign supreme in the skies, as many a family
adds to the general bangs and flashes. We don't so much sing "Auld Lang
Syne", 'though of course some gatherings do. The New Year itself is brought
in by champagne corks mixing into the general fireworks clatter. There
is a lot of kissing and hugging amongst the well-wishing for the New Year,
which is of course at midnight sharp. There is hardly anybody who would not socialise on New Year's Eve, and if there is no family to go to, you can always join one of the dancing crowds, or join one of the many parties that are held all over the country. In fact it often is quite difficult to choose which party to go to, as there are so many, and as one does want to be with the nicest possible crowd on this first night of the New Year. Hence, many a reveller will not decide where to go to until all the options have been heard and offered, which may not be until late in the afternoon of the 31st of December. The dancings are mostly organised by University students, and even though there is now a 'native' university in Luxembourg, the students from major Universities abroad traditionally tend to organise these. Thus there is a "Bal de Liège", a "Bal de Strasbourg", a "Bal de Zurich", and others. These go on to the wee hours of the morning (5 or 6 am) and a number of cafés (that is the continental version of the pub, not the English eating houses) are open this late too, so you really can revel around the clock. |
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last update: November 15, 2011
