Europe in Brussels part 21: Luxembourg

Luxembourg, one of the EU’s smallest but oldest members, starts celebrating the 23 June national day on the night before, as custom dictates.

The 23 June holiday was originally celebrated in January in honour of Grand Duchess Charlotte. But due to the cold weather, the festivities were postponed until June and the celebrations continued on this date, even after her reign.

According to Luxembourg’s website for tourism, the festivities begin the night before with a torchlight procession through Luxembourg City where there are free concerts, dance floors and Luxembourgish specialties. The following day is filled with different ceremonies from a gun salute to the traditional Te Deum, a hymn of thanksgiving.

Despite being such a small nation, with a population of about 585,000, you can still find plenty of Luxembourgers here in the Belgian capital city. There are an estimated 12,000 Luxembourgers living in Belgium, of whom two-thirds have dual Belgian nationality, according to Jean-Clade Meyer, the country's consul general in Brussels. There has been an association of Luxembourgers in Brussels since 1906.

Abby is American-born and recently reconnected to her Luxembourg roots. In 2008, Luxembourg created a 10-year-long offer which allowed those with grandparents who were Luxembourg nationals as of January 1900, the chance to obtain the nationality as well.

Abby spent the next few months collecting documents for both United States and Luxembourg federal offices. After mountains of paper work, background checks, and plenty of patience, she obtained her Luxembourg national status. “I was very delighted and it was a lot of hard work but I’m very happy to come back to my roots,” she says.

Through all of her paper chases, Abby was able to find and reconnect with a long lost cousin who has hosted her in Luxembourg and shown her family land.

She says she may not be able to get back for the national day this year but will at least be celebrating with a call to her cousin and with her Luxembourg flag in her apartment. Her family in Luxembourg will be enjoying the national festivities. “They get together and eat, and drink, and just enjoy the national day,” she says.