Buergbrennen

This past Saturday and Sunday we went to two different Buergbrennen festivals with our host family. Translated into english, Buergbrennen means "castle burning". However, it's not a festival to burn castles, but rather crosses. Sounds sac religious and a little like the KKK, right? That's what I originally thought also. However, it has nothing to do with religion and certainly nothing to do with the KKK. In Luxembourg, Buergbrennen is held during the first Sunday of lent as a symbol of burning away winter and welcoming in spring. Still hung up on the idea of burning crosses? So was I, until I actually saw the festival in action.
Basically what happens is people from each village gather in one location to light their torches. Then, they all walk together to where the fire scene has been built. The fire is build out of brush, and sticks collected from the community, but also from Christmas trees the city has collected after people throw them away when the Christmas season ends. The cross is the biggest part, and it's made of wood and Christmas trees. People throw their torches into the fire when they get there. When everyone has thrown their torch, there is usually some cheering and then people leave the fire to go eat. At the festival, they serve various types of sausages, soup, and drinks. And there is usually a band that plays music- Danie and Carlo played.
You're probably still picturing a large mob of people parading towards a cross, setting it on fire, and then cheering when it's ablaze. Which is kind of what happens, but our American mindset tends to get in the way of what this event is really about. For Luxembourgers, its a tradition that brings the community together, in a fun attempt to make winter go away. I guess it's kind of like their version of Ground Hog's Day (except PETA supports Buergbrennen). And--it's working! It has been sunny several days this week, which is a whole lot of sunshine for Luxembourg.
So, before you start thinking I've gone off the deep end for participating in setting crosses on fire, consider looking at Buergbrennen from a European angle.