Buergbrennen

You're probably looking at the title of the post and thinking: what the heck is that word supposed to mean? And how is it even pronounced?? Well, it's said like (bursh-bren-in), and it means "castle burning." The "buerg" at the beginning is the same as Letzebuerg, Luxembourg in Luxembourgish. It means small castle! Anyway, there is burning involved, but no castles are harmed in this event.

One of the other Fulbrighters, Olivia, and I went to a local event together where a large cross is burned. Obviously, this would not be perceived as a happy tradition in America, but here, it's a joyful family gathering every winter. This particular buergbrennen was hosted by a boy's and girl's club, so there were lots of young children around. I was quite surprised at the idea of young children wielding fire with so many people around.

We got there early, so we decided to walk around the area the event was taking place. We found a nice, large park just over the bridge. There was a gnome motif all around, and then we found a sign at the park telling us who it was!

When it was time to return, we made our way back and the sky was much darker. There was a bar with gluhwein, which was very tempting. In the end, we each got a bratwurst and joined the crowd forming near the pile of lumber. There were men handing out long candles with drip catchers. As soon as I got one, I followed suit and lit it at the nearest barrel fire.

A line started forming at the entrance and people started to march together. We all walked into the street and walked the same path Olivia and I had just done before the event, but in reverse. There were a few close calls with us all being so close to each other. Thankfully, we didn't see anyone catch on fire.

Once we finished the lap, everyone gave their candles to the guys on the other end of the barrier to toss into the pit. A few guys were photographing the event. They looked like high schoolers, probably from the community. I'm pretty proud of the pictures I got on my camera too. Take a look!

After watching the fire burn for quite some time and chatting, we decided it was time to go home. I felt like I was a part of something really special tonight and left with a warm, fuzzy feeling that wasn't just from the hearth.