Getting to know Luxembourg and its history
As part of the "Once Upon a Time in Luxembourg" project, teachers from Kalinka School conducted educational tours of the city for Ukrainian refugee children during the summer holidays.
The wonderful weather inspired a walk along the Alzette River to find the mysterious Melusina in the shade of a weeping willow and hear a beautiful legend.
Many of the children had just arrived in the country, so they were interested in learning about its history and traditions.
At the end of each excursion, a quest was held to test knowledge of some facts about Luxembourg.
We have many events ahead within the framework of this project, and we will be glad to meet again!!!
Excursion-quest
This year, the first day of school in Kalinka for senior children began unusually. As part of the "Once Upon a Time in Luxembourg" project, children from the Ivolgi, Snegiri, Siskin, and Lastochki groups took part in the quest "Along the Hiking Trails of Luxembourg."
In the morning, the class was given route maps, descriptions of the site, and tasks. Everyone felt like a tour guide and a tourist, and it immediately became clear how difficult it is to attract the public's attention, choose the right route, and calculate travel time. The children visited over twenty sites and learned many amazing things about the country they live in—why masks on black lanterns always watch you, where the "Golden Frau" hid during the occupation, in the wall of which church a cannonball from the time of Louis XVI still resides, and where the oldest stones tell of the birth of Luxembourg.
The quest participants took notes so they could later identify an object by a phrase, question, or simply its name. At the end, each group selected the best guide and the most attentive tourist, and everyone received souvenirs with Luxembourg symbols. But we don't stop there; new, unexplored routes and roads through the history of this small country where we live await us.
The First Day of School Kalinka.
It's time to meet with classmates and share how we spent our summer vacation.
As part of the "Once Upon a Time in Luxembourg" project, we recalled the famous and oldest fair in Europe - the Schueberfouer. Children learned that in the mid-14th century, by order of Count John the Blind, the tradition of holding an annual fair began.
And in Luxembourg, traditions are honored. For example, every year, the fair is opened with the "Sheep Parade." Musicians dressed in blue costumes to resemble 19th-century farmers follow a shepherd and a small flock of sheep, playing an ancient folk melody.
Nëssmoort - the nut market in Vianden
As part of the "Once Upon a Time There Lived Luxembourg" project, children learned about another tradition during class.
On the second Sunday in October (October 9th in 2022), Vianden hosts a nut market, known in the Vianden dialect as Nëssmoort.
At the beginning of the 20th century, a huge number of walnut trees grew in the north of Luxembourg, around the town of Vianden, and the harvested crop was sold at a weekly city market in the north of the Grand Duchy.
And in the 1930s, on the initiative of a group of Vianden residents, a nut market was organized to sell not only fresh nuts, but also a variety of products using nuts.
It was a great success and became traditional.
Here you can find nut bread, buns and pies, nut liqueurs and wine, and even nut pâté. Many of the products are available for tasting.
Vianden is also famous for its magnificent medieval castle, which stands on a mountain, and the house-museum of the great French writer Victor Hugo.
Our students were very excited to visit Vianden.
So don't be surprised if your children ask you to show them the nut market in Vianden next Sunday (October 9th).
Discovering Luxembourg
In September and October, the Kalinka school continued to organize excursions for Ukrainian children as part of the "Once Upon a Time in Luxembourg" project.
The children really like the country that took them in during difficult times, and of course they want to learn more about it.
One of the first excursions was a walk through the Upper Town. The children learned about the treaty that marked the beginning of Luxembourg's history as a state. They saw Luxembourg's founding point, the famous Red Bridge, and visited the Church of Saint-Michel. They also learned about the 400 years of foreign domination in Luxembourg and the lives of the city's residents, including their gastronomic preferences. The next excursion took them to the Kirchberg European Quarter, where history and modernity are closely intertwined. Along the route, the children explored the quarter's contemporary architecture and saw the buildings of European institutions, the Philharmonic, the National Sports and Cultural Center d'Coque, the Museum of Contemporary Art (MUDAM), and the Dräi Eechelen Fortress Museum.
On another day, the excursion took place at the Luxembourg Museum of Natural History. The children were able to explore the zoological, botanical, paleontological, and mineralogical collections assembled and displayed at the museum.
On a warm, sunny September day, the children went on an excursion to Esch-sur-Alzette. Esch is the second-largest city in the country, a city of metalworkers, and the capital of the "Red Lands" region. The children walked through the city center, visited the neo-Gothic Church of St. Joseph, visited the new, modern university quarter of Esch-Belval, and strolled through the city zoo.
A trip to Mondorf-les-Bains was also organized, where the children visited the Aviation Museum and Luxembourg's largest national park, the Thermal Park. One of the most memorable trips was a tour of Echternach, Luxembourg's oldest city. The children learned that the city's history dates back to 698. It was founded by the monk Willibrord of Ireland, who walked through the surrounding villages preaching the word of God to the people. For his kindness, courage, and justice, he was later canonized. The children, of course, visited the 18th-century Basilica, Echternach's main landmark, which now houses the relics of St. Willibrord and other saints. The children also learned about the tradition of the Jumping Procession, which takes place annually on the first Tuesday after Trinity. And, of course, the children also took a walk through the forest of "Little Luxembourg Switzerland," picked mushrooms, discovered and admired the Wolf's Throat Gorge, and returned home safely, filled with interesting information and vivid impressions! This is far from a complete list of the excursions. It's safe to say that the children who participated gained a better understanding of the history, traditions, and life of this amazing country, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg—so small on the map, but so special in our hearts!
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Luxembourgish cuisine
On Saturday before the holidays, the children from the "Malinovka" class studied the topic "Food".
The children shared their culinary habits and discussed the special features of Luxembourg cuisine.
The Grand Duchy's agricultural past, as well as its proximity to Germany, France and Belgium, have influenced the development of local cuisine.
High-quality, seasonal farm produce from local producers forms the basis of traditional Luxembourg cuisine, which features many delicious and filling dishes, such as fresh green bean soup (Bouneschlupp), potato pancakes (Gromperekichelcher), pork neck with beans (Judd mat Gaardebounen), plum jam (Quetschekraut), plum or apple pie (Quetschentaart, Äppeltaart).
During the lesson, the children treated themselves to a tasting of plum jam from local producers.
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Почему так говорят...
Folk wisdom is the experience accumulated by peoples over a long period of human development. And for each people, this wisdom reflects the characteristics of speech, language, behavior, traditions, and universal human relations. Therefore, as part of the "Once Upon a Time in Luxembourg" project, we introduced the section "Why They Say That..." This time, we selected two Luxembourgish phrases.
• Wou den Apel Läit ass en Äppelbam net wäit
• D'Aarbecht huet eng batter Wuerzel an eng séiss Fruucht
And together we began to search for and discuss their meaning, translate them into Russian, and look for similar expressions in other languages.
Dear Kleeschen, kind Kleeschen
On December 6th, Luxembourg celebrates Saint Nicholas Day. On this day, it's a day off in state primary schools as children celebrate the arrival of Saint Nicholas, or Kleeschen, as he is affectionately called in the local language.
There are many legends about Saint Nicholas, one of which tells the story of how he saved three children from a barrel where an evil butcher had hidden them. Since then, he has been considered the patron saint of all children.
On this day, Saint Nicholas goes around cities and villages with gifts, accompanied by his black servant, Houseker. Nicholas gives presents to the children, while "Houseker" holds a switch under his arm to intimidate the disobedient and unruly children, although in practice, he rarely lets it come to that! ❄️
In anticipation of Saint Nicholas's arrival, the children sang the traditional Luxembourgish song "Léiwe Kleeschen, gudde Kleeschen" which translates to "Dear Nicholas, good Nicholas" in English. ❄️❄️❄️
Excursion to the National Library of Luxembourg (BNL)
On Saturday, January 14th, an excursion to the National Library of Luxembourg was organized for the senior classes. Here's what Ksusha and Nelly, students of the Swallows class, wrote about the excursion:
The five-story library building, including basement archives, houses over a million documents and books. Despite such a large number of documents, the library maintains strict order and organization: all documents are sorted into different areas.
The reading room, occupying the first floor, is open to people of all ages and is perfect for quiet work or reading. On the second floor, there is a media library with films, audiobooks, and music.
In one of the special rooms located underground, a specific temperature and humidity are maintained to preserve books and documents published in Luxembourg in the 15th/16th centuries and later for centuries. Regular visitors cannot access this room. These books can only be viewed on the official library website since the room is closed to visitors due to the fragility of the books. Specific temperature and humidity are maintained for better preservation.
Entry to the library is free, and the use of technology, except for printers, and documents also does not require payment. To borrow any type of document, you need to obtain a card, which is possible only from the age of 14.
Everyone enjoyed the excursion. A piece of advice that can be given not only to "bookworms" but also to lovers of silence is to take a stroll through this wonderful place at least once.
Liichtmëssdag
Right after the Christmas holidays, students in Luxembourgish schools begin crafting Liichtebengelcher, colored paper lanterns suspended on sticks. They create these lanterns to participate in a procession on the evening of February 2nd, moving through their commune or neighborhood, going from house to house, and singing the traditional "Léiwer Härgottsblieschen," a song honoring Saint Blaise.
While in the past, as suggested by the song's lyrics, children asked for food (bacon and peas), now they anticipate sweets, and perhaps even a little money!
And if someone wants to learn the song, here are the words:
Léiwer Härgottsblieschen,
Gitt ons Speck an Ierbessen
Ee Pond, zwee Pond,
Dat anert Joer da gitt der gesond,
Da gitt der gesond.
Loosst déi jonk Leit liewen
Loosst déi al Leit stierwen,
(Variante: an déi al derniewent)
Kommt der net bal,
D'Féiss ginn ons kal.
Kommt Der net gläich,
Da gi mer op d'Schläich.
Kommt der net geschwënn,
D'Féiss ginn ons dënn.
Kommt Der net gewëss,
Da kritt Der e Schouss voll Nëss.
Right after the Christmas holidays, students in Luxembourgish schools begin crafting Liichtebengelcher, colored paper lanterns suspended on sticks. They create these lanterns to participate in a procession on the evening of February 2nd, moving through their commune or neighborhood, going from house to house, and singing the traditional "Léiwer Härgottsblieschen," a song honoring Saint Blaise.
While in the past, as suggested by the song's lyrics, children asked for food (bacon and peas), now they anticipate sweets, and perhaps even a little money!
And if someone wants to learn the song, here are the words:
Léiwer Härgottsblieschen,
Gitt ons Speck an Ierbessen
Ee Pond, zwee Pond,
Dat anert Joer da gitt der gesond,
Da gitt der gesond.
Loosst déi jonk Leit liewen
Loosst déi al Leit stierwen,
(Variante: an déi al derniewent)
Kommt der net bal,
D'Féiss ginn ons kal.
Kommt Der net gläich,
Da gi mer op d'Schläich.
Kommt der net geschwënn,
D'Féiss ginn ons dënn.
Kommt Der net gewëss,
Da kritt Der e Schouss voll Nëss.
The students from Kalinka school also prepared lanterns for the celebration and even sang this traditional song in Russian!
UNESCO and Luxembourg
UNESCO – United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
The main goal of UNESCO is to promote peace and security and to facilitate cooperation between countries in matters of science, culture and information.
The organization was founded in 1945. 193 countries are members of this organization.
Interestingly, the current official languages of the organization are English, Arabic, Spanish, Chinese, French and Russian.
We can imagine an album containing the most beautiful, unusual places, unique monuments, parks, and traditions on our planet. And we need to pass on all this beauty to future generations. UNESCO is the organization that wants to preserve this unique album.
The list of cultural, natural and mixed sites also includes several sites in Luxembourg:
- an old fortress with casemates and fortifications in the center of the capital (a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994)
- in the city of Echternach – Dance procession (an element of the intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO since 2010)
- the Müllerthal region (UNESCO Global Geopark since 2022)
- in the north of the country in the city of Clervaux, a photo exhibition "The Family of Man" by Edward Steichen (was included in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register in 2003)
- Minette, a southern region of Luxembourg, is renowned for its biodiversity, including nature reserves, former mines, and a steel mill (included in UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere programme in 2020).
During one of the lessons as part of the JBL project, children learned about the organization and which UNESCO World Heritage sites can be seen in Luxembourg.
About mail
Раньше, когда не было ни интернета, ни телефона, ни транспорта люди передавали информацию через голубей или гонцов.
И как только появился транспорт, чтобы перевозить письма и посылки, появилась почта.
Каждый из нас хотя бы раз отправлял письмо или открытку.
А для отправки письма нам необходима марка.
Первые марки появились в Англии, а Люксембург выпустил свои первые почтовые марки в сентября 15 сентября 1852 года.
В рамках проекта ЖБЛ на уроке дети узнали историю почты в Люксембурге.
А также посмотрели старые марки.
В современном мире открытки стали отправлять всё реже и реже, поэтому на уроке мы подписали друг другу открытки, поиграли в почту и почтальона.
Fuesent - Carnival in Luxembourg
In Luxembourg, Fuesent is the carnival period.
Luxembourgers love to celebrate carnival. Between Candlemas (Liichtmëssdag) on February 2nd and Ash Wednesday (Äschermëttwoch, early March), the carnival season in Luxembourg is the wildest of the year.
Masquerades, parades, and cavalcades for children and adults are organized by Luxembourg associations, providing a fun time for all who enjoy carnival celebrations. Almost every village in Luxembourg hosts at least one ball, transforming the streets of Luxembourg into one big party space with food, drinks, and entertainment.
The kids at school also joined in the fun celebration.
Excursion to the City Museum
On Saturday, March 25, Kalinka School had an unusual school day.
As part of the ZhBL project, children from the Malinovka and Solov'ya classes visited the Luxembourg City Museum, known as the City Museum.
The children had the opportunity to travel a little through time, starting from the founding of the city by Siegfried in 963 and up to the present day.
Wonderful exhibits, many of which are interactive, helped us see the city's development through the centuries.
The modern glass elevator also simply charmed our students.
The weather was perfect that day, so the kids were able to enjoy the breathtaking view from the museum's observation deck.
Excursion to Nospelt
On Saturday, April 15th, a group of senior students visited a very interesting museum in Nospelt.
There, the students met an intriguing individual, Ed Kandel, the creator of the pottery museum.
A retired teacher, Ed Kandel now carefully preserves everything related to the history of pottery in the village of Nospelt.
After the museum tour, our students crafted a traditional Luxembourgish whistle.
Master Class on Making Whistles Péckvillchen
On the first Monday after Easter, on the Fish Market Square (Fëschmaart) near the Grand Ducal Palace in the capital of the Grand Duchy, a traditional pottery fair called Emaischen takes place.
Péckvillchen, a clay whistle in the shape of a bird that produces a sound resembling the call of a cuckoo, is one of the symbols of this event.
A similar traditional fair is held in the west of Luxembourg, in the village of Nospelt, where there is also an excellent pottery museum.
The production of ceramics in Nospelt dates back to the 15th century. By the early 19th century, there were 17 different pottery workshops in the village, and Nospelt was recognized as the center of Luxembourg's ceramic industry, continuing until almost 1914.
Экскурсия в Шенген
On May 9, Luxembourg celebrates Europe Day.
On the eve of this holiday, as part of the project "Once Upon a Time There Was Luxembourg," older children visited Schengen, a small town in the southeast of Luxembourg.
It was here on June 14, 1985, that representatives of Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Germany and the Netherlands signed the agreement on the No Border Zone.
The children visited the European Museum, touched fragments of the Berlin Wall, and examined the Columns of Nations, learning from images of unique monuments which country each column represents.
Then they took part in a team game of experts from EU countries.
The "Order of Border Guards" team won by a landslide, thanks to its member, Vladimir Tumanshin, who rightfully received the game's main prize.
Luxembourg's National Day
Last Saturday, our children learned the history of the national holiday, learned about the state's symbols, and happily shared how they celebrated and spent the day.