One of the components of Christmas in Europe is the procession through the city, a way to sensitize the inhabitants to the event in progress. This is why, at nightfall an astonishing procession made its way from the Cultural centre to the parish church of Diekirch.
At 5.30 pm Thursday, December 3rd, after cutting the ribbon, a colourful procession preceded by two donkeys, mascots of the town of Diekirch, and followed by the delegations in their regional costumes, flags in the wind, torches in their hands and accompanied by the music of an accordion, got going.
On the way, the onlookers were handed out of candies and other sweets in a merry atmosphere. Police officers were in charge of the security of the procession which moved from the crossroads to the church in the centre of town, where the participants had to wait, as the mass was not expected to start until 7.00 pm. That was not a problem but rather the perfect opportunity beautiful to take a “family photo” on the steps of the church.
As the cold could be felt, the sanctuary was a welcoming refuge for all until the planned mass. It was a mass of reflection, chaired by the abbot Franz Muller senior vicar who, when welcoming the participants, stressed that “you are in the house of everybody, the house of God”. In addition to the reading of the Gospel of Christmas and a biblical text, songs of gospels sung by local artists and the parochial choral society were all very applauded, the abbot Franz Muller, in perfect English, leading the mass almost like an American preacher, put forward the various facets of Christmas. The mass, over at 7.45, was the culminating moment of a long day filled with many activities.
