This year’s festival centred around the theme “underwater world.” Mike Hieff, one of the organisers, conveyed the significance behind this choice, emphasising the indispensability of water for sustaining life.
He explained, “without water there is no life, and that is why we deemed it a fitting theme.”
Hieff noted that the theme is open to a wide range of associations, including fairy tales and the very real mysteries of the underwater realms across the globe. “That’s why we thought it would be a great theme for all participants,” Hieff said.
A total of 22 local groups, including music associations and gymnastics clubs, showcased their creatively adorned floats along the bustling Grand Rue in Wiltz. The climax of the procession featured the newly crowned Gënzekinnigin (“Queen of the Broom Plants”) and her princesses.
Over the past two years, Wiltz has collaborated with a local designer to craft their costumes.
Hieff shed light on the festival’s origins, revealing that it was initiated in the aftermath of World War II with the aim of restoring people’s joy of life. Given the abundant presence of broom plants in northern Luxembourg, making them readily accessible, it was deemed fitting to dedicate a festival to the flowers.
Full report by RTL Télé (in Luxembourgish):
