Liichtmëssdag is one of the lovely traditions you’ll discover in Luxembourg. It’s also one of the children’s favorite traditions. Take advantage of this opportunity to enjoy delicious pancakes, as February 2 is also Candlemas Day.

The traditions of Liichtsmëssdag in Luxembourg

Liichtmëssdag is one of our favorite Luxembourg traditions. It takes place exactly on February 2 every year.

Lighting up Luxembourg’s villages

Luxembourg schoolchildren look forward to “Liichtsmëssdag”, the eve of Saint Blaise’s Day. In anticipation of the big day, they prepare for the event by making lanterns in class with the help of their teacher or “Joffer”.

Supervised by adults or older children, they take to the streets of their neighborhood at dusk on the evening of February 2. Equipped with their colorful “Liichtebengelcher” lanterns, they bring light to residents and shopkeepers alike.

So don’t be surprised if you see children on that day. strolling the streets with their lanterns. Maybe they’ll ring your doorbell and sing the traditional Saint Blaise song?

Then, once they’ve completed their tour of the neighborhood, they gather at a local house to share the huge bags of candy and money collected. But they’re also looking forward to some well-deserved comfort in the form of hot chocolate or crêpes!

So, you too, get your treats ready in case a small group of kids comes knocking on your door!

The Liichtsmëssdag tradition

Like the words of the song “Léiwer Härgottsblieschen“, children used to beg for bacon and peas. They were equipped with torches or candles, now replaced by handmade lanterns for safety reasons.

Liichtsmëssdag has its origins in pre-Christian times. Singing the “Léiwer Härgottsblieschen“, the children pray to St. Blaise to protect the population from disease and provide them with enough food to get through the winter.

Pancakes to celebrate Candlemas

February 2 is also the Feast of Candlemas, celebrated more widely. The name derives from “candle” which evokes light.

The origins of Candlemas

As far back as antiquity, the Romans celebrated the god Pan by carrying torches through the darkened streets.

Chandeleur on February 2, exactly 40 days after Christmas, is directly inspired by Jewish traditions. These introduced the presentation of newborns 40 days after the day of birth.

In Christian times, Candlemas became the festival of light. The faithful took home the candles that the priest blessed in church during religious celebrations.

The tradition of pancakes at Chandeleur

In a more popular and pagan way, Candlemas is the occasion to taste delicious pancakes .

Traditionally, the first pancake is blown up to bring good luck for the coming year. Some people perform this gesture by holding a coin in their left hand. They bring prosperity to the family.

The gesture requires a certain dexterity. You’ll have to practice! Who will manage to blow up the pancakes the highest?

Pancake recipe to treat the “Liichter

To celebrate Candlemas in a greedy way, we give you our quick recipe of pancakes. After the Liichten, all the children will be delighted to eat some of them. Enough to wait for the distribution of the booty!

Pancake recipe for 6 people:

Beat 6 eggs with 375 grams of flour, 0.8 liter of milk, 1 pinch of salt and 3 tablespoons of sugar in a bowl.

Then add 75 grams of melted butter. You should have a smooth, fluid paste.

Let the dough rest for 1 hour.

You will then cook your pancakes in a very hot frying pan, previously greased with a little oil (or butter).

For each pancake, pour a ladleful of batter into the pan and spread it out evenly.

Cook for about 1 minute on each side. The pancake should be golden brown and come apart easily when cooked. And now it’s your turn to blow it up!

Liichtsmëssdag traditionally marks the beginning of the Carnival period.