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Luxembourg Traditions in the United States
While
today only a few people still master the Luxembourg tongue in the
Luxembourg settlements, there is a larger number of people who more or
less consciously practise old world traditions, like preparing
Luxembourg food (Träipen, Stärzelen...), observing festivities like St.
Nicholas Day (6 December), Schueberfouer, and still identify themselves
as people of Luxembourg stock. However, one must admit that the days of
intense Luxembourg life in these villages has passed. The heydays of
Luxembourg life lasted approximatively until the end of World War I:
until then these communities formed a very cohesive group, where
English as a vehicular language was not needed: most of the children
only learned English when they had to go to school. With the entrance
of the United States into the war, the Luxembourg language was
erronously considered as German, and many people chose not to use it
any more, at least not in public. Also did then the closely- knit
rigidity of the community break up gradually, people started to marry
outside their community and outside their religion, to move to far-away
places. The Luxembourg priest of St. Donatus,IA Father Flammang
(1825-1882) complained in a manuscript on the history of his parish
about the "moving mania of the Yankees", which had also infected his
community.
And yet it is still surprising that after 150 years so
many of Luxembourg traditions are still observed or that traces are
still present. A certain revival of Luxembourg societies in the United
States can also be observed. Is this now that through modern means of
transportation and communications it becomes easier for the communities
on both sides of the Atlantic to get in contact once again, or is it
just a desperate survival reaction to save what can still be saved?
Only future can tell.
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