2 February marks a special day in the calendar of many children: it is Liichtmëssdag! The little ones will be out and about to go "liichten," sing songs and ideally collect copious amounts of candy.
On 2 February, the day before Saint Blaise, children all over Luxembourg go out to celebrate Liichtmëssdag, the Luxembourgish Candlemas. The celebration is unrelated to the carnival season, despite taking pace around the same time of the year.
Equipped with simple Liichtebengelcher or more elaborate lanterns, they flock from house to house in groups of varying sizes and sing the song of Saint Blaise.
© Police
Even though the time-honoured song talks of bacon and peas, we recommend to hand out less savoury delights and perhaps go with sweets. Unsurprisingly, small amounts of cash are also always more than welcome.
Some of our readers kindly sent some photos, which you can view in the gallery below!
Safety recommendations for children and accompanying adults
- always stay on the sidewalk, keeping your distance from oncoming traffic
- cross roads safely, using zebra crossings with traffic lights where possible. If no such crossings are available, choose a place with good visibility
- even though pedestrians have right of way on pedestrian crossings, make sure that oncoming cars are actually stopping before you cross
VISIBILITY is essential
- Ideally, children should wear light-coloured clothing and reflective accessories so that drivers can easily spot them
- Accompanying adults should also wear high-visibility vests
Keep in mind that children learn by imitating their parents. In other words, set a good example and help to keep little ones safe on the roads.
Motorists should also be especially careful and drive slowly when passing groups of children this Liichtmëssdag.
