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The season of ghosts, ghouls and goblins is upon us as Hallowe’en decorations appear in gardens and homes throughout Luxembourg, brightening the country, before the longer, darker days of winter arrive.
Hallowe’en is often thought to have originated in the USA, but it is known to have been celebrated in Ireland for centuries. The ancient Celtic festival Samhain (pronounced Sow-in) celebrated the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter in Ireland over 2,000 years ago. It was also thought that on the night of 31 October, the souls of the dead were able to return to the world of the living.
Many of the customs associated with Hallowe’en are, in fact, traditional Samhain customs that it is believed were brought to America by Irish emigrants, where they gradually evolved into the Hallowe’en traditions we know today.
Pumpkin carving comes from the traditional carving of turnips in Ireland. Faces were carved into turnips which were then left outside to scare away the unwanted spirits that were thought to visit on the night of 31 October.
The tradition of wearing costumes also originated from the festival of Samhain when people would disguise themselves by wearing a mask or by dressing in costume. This was done to confuse the spirits, who would fail to recognise who they met, thereby protecting the disguised person from being taken.
Trick-or-treat is also thought to have come from this era, when poor children would visit wealthier neighbours and receive food, in the form of a “soul cake”, in exchange for saying prayers for the homeowner’s deceased relatives. This practice became known as “souling” and over the years progressed into children going from door to door asking for treats.
Bonfires were also an integral part of the Samhain festival and were lit to ward off the roaming spirits. The ashes were subsequently spread on the land to guard against bad luck.
Celebrating the end of the harvest and the start of winter was not just confined to the Celts. The ancestral tradition of "Trauliicht Weeks" which was widely celebrated in the Ardennes region of Luxembourg, until the 1970s, had similar customs.
Trauliicht comes from the Luxembourg words “trauer” meaning to mourn and “liicht” meaning light and symbolises a combination of Christian beliefs and local traditions.
Like the Samhain festival, lanterns with scary faces carved into recently harvested beet were an integral part of Trauliicht. These lanterns, known as Trauliichter were lit by candles and placed throughout the village and in the windows of homes as protection against evil spirits and the souls of the dead. People took the Trauliichter with them when herding cattle into the barn. They were then placed near the barn to keep illnesses and evil spirits away from the animals.
Trauliicht is currently experiencing a revival, and the Robbesscheier Tourist Centre in the Luxembourg Ardennes is organising "Trauliicht Weeks" from Saturday 19 October until Sunday 3 November 2024 from 10:00 until 17:00 each day.
Trauliicht evenings will take place on Saturday 26 October and Thursday 31 October 2024. Participants are invited to walk the paths around Robbesscheier with torches to meet the witches of Munshausen, the big bad wolf and cross the forest of spirits. The evenings will end with a bonfire and traditional breadsticks. For details, visit:
https://www.robbesscheier.lu/fr/fiche-activite/manifestations/semaines-betteraves
Other events to celebrate Hallowe’en in Luxembourg include those organised by the expat community and locally, including:
An evening with Dracula in Vianden Castle on Thursday 31 October 2024 at 19:00. This event will combine readings from Dracula, a novel by Bram Stoker, with a musical performance. Guests are invited to wear their Hallowe’en costumes on the evening. For details, visit:
https://www.visit-vianden.lu/en/vianden/evenement/evenement-2/2024/10/31/halloween-an-evening-with-dracula-musicdays-vianden
Comhaltas Luxembourg is hosting a Hallowe’en Céilí (Irish music and dancing) on Saturday 26 October 2024 in Centre Culturel Hollerich, in Luxembourg-Hollerich at 19:30. Dancing witches, vampires, zombies and goths are welcome and guests are asked to wear some black for the occasion. For details, visit: https://comhaltas.lu/ or https://chronicle.lu/category/dance-ballet/51557-halloween-ceili-announced
Hallowe’en at Parc Merveilleux
On Saturday 27 October from 10:00 until 18:00, a series of festive Hallowe’en events will take place at Parc Merveilleux in Bettembourg. Children are invited to dress up and participate in various activities in a scary and festive atmosphere. For details, visit: https://parc-merveilleux.lu/
Hallowe’en Cinema Nights
On the night of Thursday 31 October, a horror marathon of films will be shown at Kinepolis-Kirchberg and at Kinepolis-Belval. The films will be in the original version with French subtitles. For details, visit: https://kinepolis.lu/?
The Cinématheque in Luxembourg-Ville is also organising screenings of Hallowe’en films, including some suitable for children (and easily scared adults). For further details, visit: https://www.cinematheque.lu/
