This year, Easter Day will be celebrated on April 9, 2023. Easter Sunday is a public holiday in Luxembourg, as well as the Monday after Easter. It’s a good time, it’s the day of the Eimaischen market. The opportunity to visit this traditional and enchanting market.
Easter, a Christian religious holiday in Luxembourg
Easter is one of the most popular traditions in Luxembourg. In addition to the Easter festivities, this period also corresponds to the renewal of nature.
Religious traditions of Easter
Easter is a major Christian religious holiday. It marks for Christians the end of the Lenten period, which follows the Carnival period. Luxembourg has a Christian tradition and Easter is a public holiday.
Easter week is called “Karwoch” in Luxembourg. It is a week of recollection and prayers for Christians.
Religious celebrations begin on Thursday. This day is called “Gréngen Donneschdeg” or Holy Thursday. On this day, Luxembourgers eat vegetables instead. After a last meal on Thursday evening with his disciples (the Last Supper), Jesus is arrested by the Romans on the accusation of his disciple Judas. The Roman authorities wanted to get rid of this “King of the Jews” who was gathering the crowds.
Good Friday represents the day of Jesus’ death by crucifixion. Traditionally, we do not eat meat on this day either.
The traditional Easter vigil takes place on Holy Saturday. Prayers are organized in the churches.
Easter is celebrated on Sunday. This is a very important day for Christians who celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. If you go to mass on Easter Sunday, you will probably receive a decorated hard-boiled egg to celebrate the renewal and resurrection.
Rattles or “klibberen” to replace the bells that went to Rome for Easter
According to custom, from Holy Thursday before Easter, the church bells go to Rome for 3 days. In Luxembourg, the bells no longer ring in the cities. The organs of the churches must also be silent to respect the meditation of the faithful, in memory of the death of Jesus.
To replace them,children go around the villages with rattles (Klibber). Three times a day (morning, noon and evening), they call for prayer in the churches. The “Klibberen” lasts until the return of the bells on Easter day.
Kilbberen” signs have been installed at the entrances to Luxembourg villages and towns . Illustrating children with rattles, they encourage motorists to be very careful and to slow down in the streets.
As a reward for this “klibberen”, children come and ring your doorbell on Saturday afternoon or Easter Sunday to receive chocolate eggs and money. Bring treats and even some change if these children are at your door!
Easter egg hunts across the country
In addition to the religious celebration, Easter is also a family celebration that gives rise to traditional egg hunts . Many establishments, municipalities or associations organize large egg hunts. Children and even older children are invited to participate. Ask your local municipality for more information.
You should know that in Luxembourg, the eggs are brought by the Easter Bunny (Ouschterhues) and not the bells!
Easter is a two-week vacation for school children.
The Éimaischen, the Luxembourg tradition of Easter Monday
On the Monday following Easter Day, the traditional Luxembourgish festival of the Emaischen or Emmaus Festival takes place. This year it will be held on April 18.
The Emaischen festival closes the traditional Easter celebrations. If the origin of this traditional festival remains unclear, the inhabitants of Luxembourg andthe tourists are very fond of this event punctuated by the whistles of the “Péckvillercher”.
Eimaïschen, folk market in Luxembourg and Nospelt
The Eimaïschen Festival consists on a traditional folk market that takes place in 2 locations in Luxembourg. The rue du Marché-aux-Poissons in the old town of Luxembourg and Nospelt, a small town near Capellen (in the west),are invaded by hundreds of visitors.
The traditional Emaischen market was born in 1827. Every Easter Monday, a mass is celebrated in the church of Saint Michel in Luxembourg for the pottery brotherhood. On this occasion, potters from the village of Nospelt sold “Péckvillerchers”.
The Eimaïschen is also the occasion to hear and see traditional Luxembourgish dances and songs . The atmosphere is very festive with food and drink stands. Moreover, various animations are also proposed to the children.
The little whistling birds, the Péckvillercher
The Péckvillercher are small birds made of clay. The potters made them at the end of the day with the leftover clay used for the different potteries.
The Péckvillercher have the particularity to be used as a whistle. Blowing into it allows to reproduce the cuckoo’s call.
Every year, you will find new colorful designs for these little clay or ceramic birds at the Emaïschen markets. Collector or simple curious, come to admire these Péckvillercher of all the colors.
Prices range from a few euros to a few dozen euros! Children usually love to create beautiful melodies with these cute little birds.
The Easter celebrations are followed by the pilgrimage and the market of the Octave.
