The municipality of Greiveldange on Tuesday celebrated the traditional ‘Léiffrawëschdag’, a festivity that has existed for around 100 years and usually draws up to 5,000 visitors. A total of 110 bouquets made up of flowers and herbs were put together in the town centre for the occasion.
“The ‘Wësch’ consists of around 30 herbs”, explains Erny Konsbrück in conversation with RTL. In the past, senior citizens would assemble the bouquets at home; however, nowadays, members of local clubs and associations collaborate to collectively uphold this cherished tradition.
“We started walking around and looking where to find [the herbs] as of June”, noted Nadine Hau from the association ‘People of Greiveldange’.
Once the bouquets were put together, they were brought to the local church for the Assumption of Mary to be blessed.
According to Fernand Kieffer, the president of the organizing committee, the bouquets were conventionally suspended in barns, with their blooming symbolizing a promise of protection from diseases for a farmer’s animals.
In today’s day and age, the bouquets are sold to collect money for charitable causes. This year collections were donated to the ‘Wonschkutsch’ non-profit, an organisation that helps fulfill the final wishes of sick people.
Over the years, the tradition had been facing a decline due to the decreasing number of farmers in the Greiveldange area. However, in 1984, efforts were made to revitalize the practice of crafting these bouquets.
