With the support of:

Luxembourg’s Summer in Three Acts: Pilgrimage, Harvest, and Wine

This is the third event of the newly launched Bourgmeisterin: Fireside Chats bi-monthly series – a cultural storytelling format supported by the Ministry of Family Affairs, Solidarity, Living Together, and Reception of Refugees and co-produced with ARA City Radio that will run from winter 2026 till summer 2027. The series builds on Bourgmeisterin, a long-running cultural storytelling project that has been exploring Luxembourg’s history, traditions, and identity for over 2.5 years.

For those who missed the previous events: all events are vide-recorded as podcasts – here's the YouTube channel📺 to bring you up to speed😉

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This conversation is about how summer begins, unfolds, and culminates – not through dates on a calendar, but through rituals that structure time, movement, and community life.

In a world that moves faster than ever, some traditions continue to bring people together – not because they are efficient or practical, but because they help us mark time, create belonging, and make sense of change.

This Fireside Chat explores how summer in Luxembourg has long been shaped by collective rituals: moments when communities move together, celebrate together, and transition together.

From the rhythmic movement of the Hopping Procession of Echternach, to the blessing of grapes in Greiveldange, to the first glasses of Fiederwäissen shared at the end of the season, these traditions reveal something deeper than heritage. They show how people have historically navigated beginnings, endings, uncertainty, and belonging.

Together, we'll explore:

• 🥁 Why communities create rituals in the first place
• 🕺🏻 What it means to move, celebrate, and participate as a group
• 🌾 How traditions help people mark the passing of time
• 🍷 Why certain customs survive while others disappear
• 💬 And what these rituals can still teach us about community, identity, and belonging today

Because sometimes the most interesting question isn't why a tradition exists.

It's why people continue returning to it.

• The evening is hosted by Julia Khalyavko, the founder of Bourgmeisterin, a cultural storytelling project dedicated to exploring Luxembourg’s history, traditions, and contemporary identity through articles, podcasts, and public conversations.
• The discussion is joined by Joëlla van Donkersgoed, a Dutch heritage scholar and public historian who has lived in Luxembourg for the last five years. With a background in heritage studies, and art history, she focuses on how communities connect with their past in the present. She has led several public-facing history projects during her time at the Centre for Contemporary and Digital History (C²DH) at the University of Luxembourg, helping to make local history meaningful to wider audiences.

The conversation doesn’t end when the fireside chat does. Catering and drinks will be served after the discussion, offering space to linger, exchange thoughts, and connect with fellow attendees in a relaxed, informal setting with up to 50 other attendees.

• Please note that the fireside chat will be video-recorded. Some before- and after-moments – as guests arrive and leave – may also be captured. The recording will be edited into a video-podcast episode and published on YouTube as part of the Bourgmeisterin: Fireside Chats series.
• The event will be held in English.

🎥 Super8, our videography partner bringing the Fireside Chats to life on screen,

📍Silversquare Liberté, our venue partner hosting this Fireside Chat in Luxembourg City,

📲 Intrépide Studio, our social media partner helping us shape and share the story

Follow Bourgmeisterin on Instagram and LinkedIn!

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🎟️ Admission is free thanks to the generous support of the Ministry, which makes this event accessible to all.

🚨 The order form includes a short pre-event survey: as this is a Ministry-funded initiative, we are required to report on certain aspects of the event, including audience demographics. Your responses help us meet these reporting obligations 🙏