Ash Wednesday marks the end of the carnival season. In Carnival strongholds such as Cologne, Mainz, and Düsseldorf, festivities draw to a close. Luxembourg also observes its own custom. In Remich, the local music society organises a torchlight procession culminating in the burning of the so-called ‘Sträimännche’ (straw man).
The procession makes its way through the streets of the Moselle town, accompanied by singing and dancing, before the straw figure is carried onto the bridge. To the sound of the local music, the effigy is set alight and after a few minutes falls into the Moselle.
During a leap year, a female straw doll takes the place of the traditional figure. This will next be the case in 2028.
