Burn, Bake, Fall in Love: Luxembourg's Spring Traditions

This is the first event of the newly launched Bourgmeisterin: Fireside Chats bi-monthly series – a cultural storytelling format supported by the Ministry of Family Affairs, Solidarity, Living Together, and Reception of Refugees and co-produced with ARA City Radio that will run from winter 2026 till summer 2027. The series builds on Bourgmeisterin, a long-running cultural storytelling project that has been exploring Luxembourg’s history, traditions, and identity for over 2.5 years.

This conversation is about understanding why spring mattered so much socially – and how fire, food, and love structured life long before dating apps❤️ and calendars📅

🔥 What’s on the fire

We’ll move through Luxembourg’s most evocative spring rituals, unpacking what they really meant – and why they still matter:

• Buergbrennen (Feb 22, 2026)

Marks the symbolic end of winter through a communal bonfire ritual🔥 rooted in ideas of renewal and fertility. Entire villages gathered to burn towering structures, believing that winter’s darkness, food scarcity, and fear had to be actively destroyed – not passively endured. The ritual wasn’t about spectacle, but about control: winter didn’t end by itself; it was ended together.

• Bretzelsonndeg (Pretzel Sunday; Mar 15, 2026)

Turned baked goods into emotional currency. In small communities where reputation mattered and direct declarations carried risk, pretzels🥨 became a socially accepted way to signal affection, rejection, or availability – without saying a word. This intimate ritual reveals how courtship was carefully regulated, moving spring from collective renewal to one-on-one choice.

• Éimaischen (Apr 6, 2026)

Marks the moment when winter is truly over and play becomes permissible again. The Easter Monday market🪺 blended craft, sound, and flirtation: pottery and bird-shaped whistles🦜 weren’t just souvenirs, but tools for being noticed, heard, and approached. Lighter than formal courtship rituals and freer than winter gatherings, Éimaischen turned the marketplace into a social stage – a space for curiosity, movement, and joy🤸‍♀️

From there, the conversation opens up to:

• What sequence these events formed and how they shaped communal rhythms and relationships
• What these traditions mean today – beyond nostalgia, tourism, or Instagram

💃🏻 Who’s leading the conversation

• The evening is hosted by Julia Khalyavko, the founder of Bourgmeisterin, a cultural storytelling project dedicated to exploring Luxembourg’s history, traditions, and contemporary identity through articles, podcasts, and public conversations.
• The discussion is joined by Rosana Greco, a tour guide in Luxembourg, with a Venezuelan, American and Italian background, bringing a cross-cultural perspective to local traditions and their meaning in today’s Luxembourg.

🤝 Stay, talk, connect

The conversation doesn’t end when the fireside chat does. Catering and drinks will be served after the discussion, offering space to linger, exchange thoughts, and connect with fellow attendees in a relaxed, informal setting.

🎥🗣️NB! Recording, publication & spoken language

• Please note that the fireside chat will be video-recorded. Some before- and after-moments – as guests arrive and leave – may also be captured. The recording will be edited into a video-podcast episode and published on YouTube as part of the Bourgmeisterin: Fireside Chats series.
• The event will be held in English.

🤝 A big thank you to our partners for jumping on this adventure with us from the very beginning:

• 🎥 Super8, our videography partner bringing the Fireside Chats to life on screen,
• 📍Silversquare Luxembourg, our main venue partner, hosting Fireside Chats in Luxembourg City,
• 📲 Intrépide Studio, our social media partner helping us shape and share the story

Follow Bourgmeisterin on Instagram and LinkedIn!

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🎟️ Admission is free thanks to the generous support of the Ministry, which makes this event accessible to all.

🚨 The order form includes a short pre-event survey: as this is a Ministry-funded initiative, we are required to report on certain aspects of the event, including audience demographics. Your responses help us meet these reporting obligations 🙏