December 4 is “Bärbelendag”, a day traditionally dedicated to the patron saint of miners in many places in the Minett region. St Barbara is the patron saint of miners, but is also venerated by architects, geologists, mathematicians, firemen and other professions.
Although the last mine in the Minett region closed its doors forever in 1981, the celebration of Saint Barbara, which has been listed in the UNESCO National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage since December 2022, remains alive in our region. In many municipalities in the south of Luxembourg, Saint Barbara is honoured during the days around the 4th of December.
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© Commune de Pétange |
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Today and at the beginning of next week, we will give you a brief overview of the celebrations in the municipalities of the Minett Biosphere, starting with the celebrations in the Kordall region and Dudelange.
Rodange:
The opening of the Bärbelendag 2024 celebrations will take place this Saturday 30 November at 16:30 in the municipality of Pétange. The ceremony will begin at the chapel of Saint Barbara in the Hary Godefroy park in Rodange. A procession with the statue of Saint Barbara will then go to the church in Rodange, where a mass will be celebrated. After the service, the municipal council of Pétange, which organises this event every year with the Amicale des pompiers du Centre d’Incendie et de Secours Pétange and the Aarbechter Ënnerstëtzungsveräin Rodange, invites everyone to a drink at the cultural centre in Rodange.
Lasauvage:
In the municipality of Differdange, Saint Barbara is traditionally commemorated at the Doihl mine in Lasauvage. As always, the meeting point is the Brasserie de la Mine, where a wreath will be laid at the Monument des Mineurs on Wednesday 4 December at 19:00. The procession with Saint Barbara will then go to the Lasauvage festival hall, where a mass will be held. Finally, the wine of honour will be served at the Doihl mine. Guests will be taken there by the mining train.
Dudelange:
Since 2022, Bärbelendag has been commemorated again in the city of Dudelange. This year’s celebration starts in the early evening. The DKollektiv invites everyone to gather at the Porte d’Italie on 4 December from 18:00, where the procession will start at 18:30. After a stop at around 18:50 at the former mine entrance, where the Coups de mine (salutes) will be fired, the event will continue to VEWA, where the evening will end with speeches, drinks and music. The DKollektiv is organising this year’s Bärbelendag together with its colleagues from the AHI Hussigny-Godbrange in Lorraine, the FerroForum, the Amicale des pompiers and the Harmonie of Dudelange.