Champs du Glacis - Ville de Luxembourg

Luxembourg, 22 November 2011
Press release
Winterlights 2011
The magic of Christmas
This Tuesday, 22 November 2011, Luxembourg City presented its "Winterlights" programme, which will
plunge the capital into a wintery, warm and magical atmosphere, during the end of year festivities. From 25
November to 1 January 2012 included, there will be a wealth of events, concerts, exhibitions and
performances taking place within the City: apart from the traditional events such as the Christmas Markets
in the Place d’Armes and the Place de Paris, the Saint Nicholas Procession and the Christmas Parade,
there are some new additions to enhance the 2011 programme.
Thus, Luxembourg City is pleased to be able to support businesses, and in particular local crafts, by
producing bags of sweets made by the "Chocolate House" chocolate makers, situated across from the
Grand Ducal Palace, which will be distributed by Saint Nicholas on Sunday, 4 December. It is worth noting
that this chocolate maker is also working with fair trade ingredients.
Another new addition to the 2011 programme will be the largest travelling crib in the world, called "Noël en
Provence", which will be on show in the Sacré-Cœur Church Home from 26 November onwards. Beyond
the traditions of Christmas, this real homage to the wonderful world of figurines from the Provence region in
France, is an authentic fresco of Provencal life in the nineteenth century, thanks to some 300 figurines and
automatons, dressed in the fashion of the 1830s, carved and dressed by the most renowned crib makers
from Provence, Simone Jouglas, Mamie Martin and Patrick Reboulin.
On a social level, the City will support in particular, the "Den Cent Buttek" association through various
actions. Firstly, families with children who benefit from the support of the “Cent Buttek” association will have
the opportunity to attend a free presentation of the Luxembourg Advent Circus and Saint Nicholas will visit
the children involved in the "Den Cent Buttek" in Beggen on Thursday, 8 December to give them a bag of
sweets. Secondly, the donations collected through the crib on the Place d’Armes will be devoted to them
this year. As last year, the team of voluntary workers from the "Cent Buttek" will support the procession
organised by the City and supervise Saint Nicholas’ angels.
Furthermore, the City continues to supports non-profit organisations by giving them the possibility of
presenting their work in the chalets provided in the City centre’s main shopping streets and to sell their
products to raise funds. To enable these associations to also meet the advised guidelines on reusable
receptacles, which are applicable for the Christmas Market as well as any major event taking place within
the capital, the City will provide them with cups, specially decorated with a festive motif for the occasion, for
serving their hot drinks.
One last addition concerns the route to be taken by Saint Nicholas on 4 December, which this year will
make a small detour to visit the children attending the presentation by the Luxembourg Advent Circus on
that day and then join the procession again in the rue de la Porte Neuve. The complete procession will then
head towards the Place Guillaume II via the Grand Rue.
CENTRAL ADMINSTRATION
COMMUNICATION&PUBLIC RELATIONS
Hôtel de Ville
L-2090 Luxembourg
www.vdl.lu
Tel.: 4796-5012
Fax: 4796-5050
e-mail: aagustsson@vdl.lu