Luxembourg is today’s only remaining grand duchy, headed since 2000 by Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg of the House of Nassau-Weilburg. Have you ever wondered why Luxembourg is a Grand Duchy and where the Grand-Ducal family comes from?
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I am extremely grateful and honoured to be featured as one of the top 28 people in Europe who are stirring and shaping European public life by the prestigious POLITICO Magazine.
On December 2, 2015, POLITICO released their list of "European high-fliers" under the heading POLITICO 28.
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Discover five unexpected facts about the small but endearing European country of Luxembourg.
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There is a goat at the wedding bustling in between guests. By that I don’t mean the derogatory term you may have had in mind when you were thinking of that acquaintance you have trouble tolerating. I was talking about the actual ruminant animal with the white or brown fur, mischievous look and that characteristic complaining sound.
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Fathers deserve to be honoured and pampered, too.
On the first Sunday in October, Luxembourg celebrates Father’s Day. In 2015, the date falls on October 4th. Fathers receive a small present from their children, usually something they made at school, and a present from their wives (this could be flowers or a new tool, perhaps).
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Leaving your native country is exhilarating at first. Everything is so new that you don’t think about your old home. Once you have settled into a routine, you start to notice the differences between your old home and your new one. Three years after leaving Luxembourg for Canada, I look back on my home country with different eyes.
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Wondering where Mother’s Day comes from and how to celebrate it in Luxembourg?
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A fun way to learn additional vocabulary, animal expressions also allow you to learn a little bit about the culture of Luxembourg. There are hundreds of animal expressions in Luxembourgish, some clearly vestiges of old farming wisdom, others colourful caricatures of animals to describe aspects of human nature. Here's my top 10.
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You might witness something strange in Luxembourg on the weekend of February 22nd, in the form of a tall burning cross standing in the middle of a field lighting up the night sky. If you’re familiar with US history, you might think that something nefarious is going on but let me assure you, this is a very old and harmless tradition in Luxembourg and its surrounding areas to scare off the winter spirits and welcome spring back.
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It is bitter, watery and leaves me with an artificial aftertaste I can’t quite place. This is not at all how I remember egg nog! I’m standing in the milk aisle of my local Toronto grocery store and hand my sample back to the lady. I try not to look too disgruntled, after all, it’s not her fault, she has never had
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It can be quite awkward when you greet a woman in Luxembourg and you start with the wrong cheek for kisses. Or you only expect two kisses and the other person goes for a third one and you land on each other’s noses. Avoid it if you can! Here are some other face-saving facts you should know about Luxembourgish etiquette.
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On June 24, 2014, on the occasion of the Luxembourg National Day, Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie gave her first TV interview in Luxembourgish. Stéphanie, born in Belgium, only started learning Luxembourgish about two years ago and her TV interview caused quite the stir in the comments sections across the web.
Just how good is her Luxembourgish?
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I was recently asked for restaurant recommendations by a Canadian friend of mine who was planning a business trip to Luxembourg with the Vice President of his company.
Even though I had a few ideas of my own, I thought I would ask the Learn Luxembourgish Facebook community for help. The result was a long list of very different restaurants in Luxembourg City that all sounded delicious. Take a look!
Read MoreWant to know how to win your Luxembourgish neighbours over? Send them a Luxembourgish invitation to a barbecue! This and other spring activities in Luxembourg!
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Whether you believe that the holiday is about the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, or whether you just want to celebrate the return of spring, Luxembourg has a wide range of interesting and fun traditions to take part in during this season.
The story of Easter starts three days before
Read MoreDid you miss the opportunity to dress up for Halloween last October or was your costume so good that you want to show it off again? Join the festivities of the Luxembourg Carnival (Fuesent) that has all the makings of a great party: dressing up, fun music and wonderful treats!
The Luxembourg Fuesent starts on Candlemas Day (Liichtmëssdag) on February 2nd and ends on
Read MoreWhat is Luxembourgish?
Luxembourgish, or Lëtzebuergesch, is the native language of Luxembourgers. Foreigners often tell me it sounds like Dutch but softer. It has kept much of the German grammar and syntax and a lot of its words can be traced back to either German or French.
Isn’t it just a dialect?
Technically no. In 1984, Lëtzebuergesch was established as the national language of Luxembourg and adopted as one of three official languages, alongside German and French. However, the question of when and how a dialect becomes a language is not a simple one to answer.
Read MoreI have never really been one for singing songs until my son was born two and a half years ago. There is nothing more soothing to a crying baby than a song sung by mom and dad (well, a song, and a swaddle, and gently rocking, and a soother, and all the other things you'll try in desperation... ok, you got me).
Nonetheless, I found myself running out of songs I could sing from start to finish pretty fast. So here's to building a repertoire of Luxembourgish songs on the eve of Saint Nicolas day!
Read MoreDicks, Luxembourgish writer, poet, lawyer, Prime Minister. He is credited with the writing and producing of the first theater play in the Luxembourgish language, then known as the ‘Luxembourger German dialect’.
Some of the songs that Dicks composed for his plays, are still known and sung today. One example is the song called ‘Ech sinn e groussen Hexemeeschter’ from the operetta ‘D’Mumm Séis oder De Geescht’. Lyrics and English translation to be found here.
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