Our Lady of Luxembourg;
Credit: Ali sahib, Chronicle.lu
On Sunday 25 May 2025, Luxembourg will celebrate the final day of its annual religious event, the Octave (also known as the Oktav), with a pontifical Mass in Notre-Dame Cathedral at 10:30 and the event’s closing procession starting at 15:00.
The Octave in Luxembourg is a celebration of Our Lady of Luxembourg, the patron saint of both Luxembourg City and the country as a whole. Every year, between the fourth and sixth Sunday of Easter, pilgrims come to Notre-Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg-Ville from parishes throughout the Grand Duchy. The adorned statue of Our Lady of Luxembourg is on display in the Cathedral during this time.
The theme of this year’s event is “Pilgrims of Hope” and it is described as one of the most important pastoral moments of the ecclesial year. The Mäertchen (little market) with its food stalls and carnival atmosphere, currently in Place Guillaume II in the city centre, originates from the days when fasting pilgrims required feeding following their journey.
One of the highlights of the Octave is the pontifical Mass on the final Sunday, attended by the Grand Ducal family. The closing procession sees the statue of Our Lady carried in a solemn procession through the streets of the city.
To accommodate the procession, the City of Luxembourg (VdL) has announced that some of the streets in the city centre will be closed to traffic from 14:00 to 18:00 on Sunday 25 May and to parking from 06:00 on Sunday 25 May to 08:00 on Monday 26 May. Access to the Knuedler car park will not be possible between 14:00 and 18:00 on Sunday 25 May 2025.
