Luxembourg has many traditions, but have you ever heard of “Emaischen”?
Every year on Easter Monday potters from all around the country come to the capital city to sell their traditional "Péckvillecher" for the "Emaischen". Essentially the Péckvillecher are whistles in the form of a bird made out of ceramic, which when blown make a sound similar to the whistle of a cuckoo.
The origins of this celebration go back to the 1800s. After the traditional mass on Easter Monday potters organised a little market where they sold pots and vases but also the Péckvillercher.
The first historical recording of the name Emaischen was on the 3rd April 1827. A police commissioner had asked the city to move the market to the main square as it had outgrown the space in front of the church.
Watch an video from an Emaischen market in 1950s here.
But the Emaischen also takes place in Nospelt, a small village near Capellen. Historically a lot of the potters who sold their ceramics originated from this neighbourhood. So, ever since 1957, the municipality of Kehlen also holds a market for the whistle birds on Easter Monday.
However Nospelt hosts other festivities on Easter weekend. Their traditional “Emaischen Bal” regularly attracts large crowds. This year it will be held on Saturday April 8 and Sunday April 9.
While the Emaischen is a Luxembourgish event, the Péckvillecher are sold all around the world. They are especially popular in Asia and South America. The Luxembourgish quirk is that they are only sold once a year on Easter Monday.
While the birds come in all colours, shapes and sizes, some of the birds that are sold are unique to that year's edition. So collectors show up early in the morning to grab the very special ones.
In Nospelt the sale opens at 10 am and the musical program will go on until the evening. The local pottery museums will also have open doors.
This year's edition will be held on April 10 from, 10am until 5pm. 48 Stands will be all placed throughout the city centre, notably at the Marché aux Poissions. The city is also installing a free facepainting stand in rue de la Boucherie and rue du Rost. Furthermore, various folk groups will be playing in front of The National Museum of Art History.
Find out more at: emaischen.lu and vdl.lu
