Luxembourg’s Christmas traditions have an entirely unique charm – their version of Saint Nick is called ‘Klees’chen’ and with the help of God he’s supposed to have brought three children back to life after they were murdered by a butcher. He now has the much more mundane task of dolling out the Christmas gifts to children by visiting their homes on the evening of the 5th of December, but he comes by early and will leave you sweets and other small treats in your shoes if you leave them out for him at night. Dressed in purple bishop’s hat, with a king’s fur lined cape, a full beard and carrying a crook, ‘Klees’chen’ rolls into Luxembourg City the Sunday before the 6th and hands out sweets in person and has his photo taken with his young fans.

More adult Christmas fun includes the usual pleasures of fine food and drink, especially of Stollen, schnapps, mettwurscht, pancakes, mulled wine and Bûche de Noël, ice cream in the shape of a log, all of which you can buy at the Christmas Market, which blends local and European Christmas traditions. The wooden huts the market stores are set in are part of the European influence, but the gifts you can buy in them and the big tree in the centre belong to both strains of tradition.

Written by  World Reviewer Staff.

Add comment

Comments, reviews and questions