Credit: US Embassy in Luxembourg
The US Embassy in Luxembourg and the municipality of Parc Hosingen recently revived an old tradition with the former municipality of Hoscheid (now part of the Parc Hosingen municipality) gifting the embassy with a Christmas tree as a token of appreciation for the sacrifices made by US troops to liberate the area during the Battle of the Bulge.
“The United States has a strong historic relationship with the [municipality] of Parc Hosingen and this beautiful tree is a true and heartfelt symbol of that bond. We are very thankful to Mayor Wester and the [municipality] for the gracious revival of this tradition. It embodies the sacred remembrance of the recent military past between the United States and Luxembourg and is especially momentous in December, during the anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge", said Chargé d’Affaires a.i., Casey Mace.
Romain Wester, the Mayor of the municipality of Parc Hosingen, commented: “For the [municipality] of Parc Hosingen it is a great pleasure and an immense honour to once again offer the US Embassy a Christmas tree from our beautiful landscapes of the Ardennes, that were so terribly devastated during the Battle of the Bulge. May this tree be a symbol of the steadfast gratitude to our American liberators, of peace and hope during this Christmas season, and of friendship and solidarity during this time of a global pandemic”.
The tradition of a pine tree being cut in the woods surrounding Hoscheid and delivered to the embassy to decorate the entrance hall of the US Ambassador’s Residence, dates back to when Roland Gaul, former staff member of the US Embassy in Luxembourg, initiated the idea together with Mayor Fernand Schmit and Alderman Charles Dirkes of the former municipality of Hoscheid.
