Cavalcade in Diekirch, February 2020;
Credit: Ali Sahib
Luxembourg's Carnival (Fuesent) season is in full swing, with a number of cavalcades, masked balls and parades for all ages on the agenda.
The Carnival season takes place between Candlemas (Liichtmëssdag) on 2 February and Ash Wednesday (Äschermëttwoch), which this year falls on 22 February. Schools in Luxembourg are currently off for the Carnival holidays (11 to 19 February 2023).
Throughout this festive period, associations across the Grand Duchy organise various events and activities to celebrate Carnival with colourful costumes, music, food and drinks.
After several COVID-19-related cancellations and postponements in recent years, the cavalcade season will kick off once again this year with the "Dikricher Cavalcade". The colourful parade will depart Route de Larochette in Diekirch at 14:30 on Sunday 19 February 2023. The festivities will continue with the "Schëfflenger Kavalkad" in Schifflange on Sunday 26 February from 15:00, "Escher Fuesent" in Esch-sur-Alzette on Sunday 5 March from 14:15 and a children’s cavalcade ("Kanner Kavalkad Käldall") in Kayl on Sunday 12 March from 14:30. A night-time cavalcade ("Nuetskavalkad") is set for Saturday 18 March in Wasserbillig from 18:11 (eleven is a special number for the German Carnival season which traditionally kicks off on 11 November at 11:11). The last big cavalcades of the season will take place on Sunday 19 March in Pétange (from 14:11) and Remich (from 14:30).
Another highlight of the Carnival period in Luxembourg are the masked balls that take place across several towns and villages. The American Chamber of Commerce in Luxembourg (AMCHAM) is organising one such event this year, a "Winter Carnival Masked Ball", on Friday 3 March at 19:00 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Luxembourg-Dommeldange.
The Carnival season traditionally comes to a close on Ash Wednesday, when Remich burns an effigy symbolising winter - the Stréimännchen (straw man - or woman, in leap years) - on the bridge over the Moselle River. That being said, various cavalcades and other activities may still take place after this.
