Santa Claus dmay not have brought snow on his sleigh to Washington but the Maryland Public Television brought plenty of joys with the memories of Wiltz, Luxembourg; the documentary was broadcast on Christmas Day and then twice on Boxing Day to the delight of audiences.
The heartwarming story narrated beautifully is based on a fascinating book by Peter Lion, recipient of many Emmy awards.
The TV station informed the viewers that “amidst the dark and painful days of WWII Europe there shown a bright and joyous light - the courage and compassion of the 28th Infantry Division Signal corps and its Christmas gift to the town of Wiltz, Luxembourg.”
As The Luxembourg Chronicle shared with our readers in September 2015, “Wiltz began a tradition to remember the American St. Nicolas and all the soldiers who created St. Nicolas Day in 1944. Each year someone was chosen to be the American Saint Nicolas. Then he would go through the town, greeting children and giving treats, continuing up to the Castle for a celebration, just like it was done in 1944.”
This beautiful documentary is a production from the World War II Foundation and Tim Gray Media, with Tim Gray as the producer. Viewers learned about the graciousness of American soldiers who put down their weapons for a day to restore humanity. Viewers also learned about the special bond that Luxembourgers felt towards the American soldiers and kept the tradition of St. Nicholas alive, which was banned by the Nazis. The documentary also tells the viewers that the Nazis banned Luxembourgish during their tyranny.
The bonds of friendship between the US and Luxembourg are kept strong in Washington by the outreach effort of the Embassy in Washington led by H.E. Ambassador Jean-Louis Wolzfeld assisted by Elisabeth Herndler. Examples of continued outreach are the several concerts arranged throughout the year at the Embassy in cooperation with the Embassy Series founded by Jerome and Lisette Barry.
