The City of Luxembourg will be switching on its Christmas lights this Thursday 22 November 2018, bringing festive cheer to the capital once again.
The Christmas light switch-on will mark the beginning of the City of Luxembourg's annual Winterlights programme, featuring the traditional Christmas markets spread across the city, concerts, exhibitions, shows and activities for children. This year the programme will run from 22 November 2018 until 13 January 2019.
The capital will be lit up every day between 06:00 and 01:00, thus ensuring a warm, festive atmosphere throughout the cold, winter days. This year will see the introduction of 249 new lights in 20 different decorations, notably in the city centre (Rudolph the rednosed reindeer in Place du Théâtre, shooting stars at Boulevard Roosevelt) and the Gare district (snow flakes in Rue de Strasbourg, 2D winterlights in Place de Paris), but also throughout Bonnevoie and Limpertsberg as well as Grund, Merl, Neudorf and Pfaffenthal. Pierre Bardet's ever-popular LED blue tree will also be making its return this Christmas at Place Guillaume II.
Adding to the festivities, the capitals Christmas markets, featuring 130 chalets, will once again offer handicrafts, decorations, jewellery, candles and other products, as well as traditional food favourites and various variations of mulled wine.
Saint Nicolas will also be making an appearance again this year, starting with a procession on Sunday 2 December 2018 through the streets of the capital. Saint Nicolas, surrounded by angels and escorted by the motorised police, will be accompanied by "Tramsmusek", snowmen, the "Li Marteling" dance school, scouts and young firefighters, cheerleaders, donkeys and the bogeyman. Saint Nicolas will arrive by train at the Central Station at 13:30 when he will give a speech and distribute treats. The "Big Band Spectrum" will provide the music. At 14:10, the procession will leave for Avenue de la Gare and Rue du Fort Bourbon, accompanied by music from "Tramsmusek" and "Drum n'Twirl Fanat X asbl". At 14:20, they will arrive at Place de Paris, where music will be provided by the choir "Grënnësch Spatzen". At 14:25, the procession will visit the St. Nicholas and Advent Market and St. Therese Clinic until 15:20 when the procession will depart for the Place de la Constitution via Avenue de la Liberté. This will be followed by a visit of the Christmas market there at 15:30, accompanied by music from the "Saxitude" ensemble. At 16.00 dancers from "Li Marteling" will perform before the departure of the procession at 16:05 towards Grand-Rue. At 16:50, the procession will pass through Rue du Marché-aux-Herbes and Rue de la Reine towards Place Guillaume II, where they will arrive at 17:00, accompanied by a performance by cheerleaders of the City of Luxembourg. Here, sweets and speeches will again be given, followed by a reception at the City Hall. The Cent Buttek team of volunteers will again support, as in previous years, the procession, notably by framing the angels of Saint Nicolas.
Likewise, as in previous years, the City and its partners will support Den Cent Buttek. In this context, Saint Nicolas will visit the children of the Cent Buttek Beggen on Saturday 8 December 2018 to offer them a bag of treats and will bring other magical surprises for families. In addition, the same day will be themed "Telethon", an action by Lions Clubs District 113 Luxembourg against rare diseases. From 11:00-17:00, the Christmas market will thus serve as a donation centre and volunteers will answer calls via 46 36 37. The collection will be used for the benefit of people with rare diseases in Luxembourg. "Knuedler on Ice" as well as the "Luxemburger Adventscircus" will also show solidarity with those in need by offering free tickets to various associations in the social field.
The full Winterlights 2018 programme can be consulted at https://winterlights.vdl.lu/.
