Buergbrennen

The castle burning ( Luxembourgish Buergbrennen ) is a tradition in Luxembourg and the neighboring German border area, on the first Sunday after Shrove to make ( the first Sunday of Lent ) a big fire. It symbolically represents the combustion of winter dar.

Custom

Usually, local associations take care of the organization of the castle burning. They collect wood to by the residents and businesses of the community and use it to construct the "castle", a wooden, wrapped with straw and other combustible material cross, which is normally situated on a hill, in some localities torchlight be compiled. The clubs build huts, where they sell food (eg sausage) and drinks.

According to a general rule of the winemakers at the castle can burn the weather of the early summer before saying, " Wei Damp the op Buergsonndeg geet, geet esou en de whole Virsummer ".

Etymology

The word " Buerg " has nothing to do with a castle in the modern sense. It comes from the Latin verb " comburo ", thus " burn " back. So is also assumed that the tradition of burning castle dates back to the New Year celebrations in ancient Rome, where the year began on March 1.