-- Buergbrennen

Buergbrennen

16-17 February 2013

This unique Luxembourg ritual takes place in the evening on the first Sunday of Lent (in some towns, it takes place on Saturday).

It is not a Catholic holiday, however. The practice seems to have pagan origins and is thought to be a purification rite to commemorate the end of winter. People in the villages erect a huge straw-covered cross or wheel of wood, topped with an evergreen tree, and place it on a hillside. According to tradition, the most recently married couple lights the cross or wheel at nightfall in the presence of the spectators. A torch-lit parade usually precedes the event, and stands are set up at the venue to sell hearty food items and drinks.

Luxembourg Ville normally organizes a Buergbrennen in the Petrusse Valley at the base of the Schlittenhiwwel (sledding hill), the large hill in the middle of the park. HOWEVER, this year, Luxembourg City has CANCELLED the event in the Petrusse Valley, due to the renovation work that began on the Pont Adolphe, which will result in much of the park being closed off to public events for quite some time.

Not to worry. Nearly 60 towns across the Grand Duchy normally host their own Buergbrennen on either the Saturday or Sunday of that weekend.

A list of this year’s Buergbrennens are listed in this Wort.lu article. 

Another more extensive list can be found (in German and Luxembourgish) HERE.