Luxembourg: Pretzel Sunday, Adolphe Bridge, & Plum Tarts
Want to know more about Luxembourg? Are you a lover of travel, geography teacher, homeschooling or involved parent, student, or life-long learner? In an effort to make world geography more meaningful and memorable, I've compiled all you will need to locate Luxembourg on a map, cook a Luxembourgian meal, watch YouTube clips on Luxembourg, color the flag, create a Luxembourgian craft, read a great book about Luxembourg, and more!
Please DO NOT copy this elsewhere without giving proper credit: http://iijuan12.hubpages.com/hub/x-is-for-luxembourg
Where is Luxembourg?
Locate Luxembourg on this map of Europe. Use this map of Luxembourg to label the capitol, Luxembourg (Luxembourg City). Mark other relevant features (rivers, mountains, famous locations, etc.) if desired. If you'd like to spend a bit more time researching the country, you can add the language, currency, type of government, religion, and/or famous landmarks. Write them on the back of the map. You can easily find all this information at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxembourg.
Fun facts about Luxembourg
Luxembourgish is the national language, but Luxembourgians also speak German (used by the media) and French (used during business practices).
The official name of Luxembourg is 'Grand Duchy of Luxembourg,' and it is the only remaining sovereign Grand Duchy in the world.
Beneath the Fortress of Luxembourg, there are about 13 miles of hidden underground passages.
Bretzelsonneg, or Pretzel Sunday, occurs on the 4th Sunday in Lent. On this day boys give the girl they like a pastry shaped as a pretzel. The
larger the pretzel the more the boy likes the girl. If the girl feels the same way she will give the boy a decorated egg on Easter Sunday. On leap years the roles are reversed. This practice is celebrated by both singles and married couples.
Luxembourg's flag
Print and color the flag of Luxembourg and learn the history and meaning of it from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Luxembourg.
Visit Luxembourg on YouTube
Luxembourgian Meal
Prepare and serve sausages on crusty dinner rolls, potato pancakes, applesauce, German beer and/or apple juice, and plum tart.
Lëtzebuerger Grillwurscht
Lëtzebuerger Grillwurscht, originally called Thuringer, are inexpensive, small sausages that taste like a spicy version of the German bratwurst. They are often sold by street vendors and at roadside stands. New regulations prohibit the use of the word "Thuringer" as it is now regionally protected and reserved to sausages produced in the German free state of Thuringia. (en.wikipedia.org)
Ingredients
- 6 bratwursts or link-sausages
- 1 (12 ounce) can beer or 2 cups of apple juice or apple cider
- 1 medium chopped onion
- 6 peppercorns
- 4 cloves (optional)
- 6 hard rolls
- mustard
Instructions
- Place bratwursts, beer/apple juice/apple cider, onion, peppercorns, and cloves in a 3-quart saucepan. Simmer for 10 minutes. Drain. Grill bratwursts 2-5 inches from charcoal about 10 minutes, and sprinkle with water while browning to crisp skin. (You can also broil them for 2-4 minutes per side in the oven if the weather is bad for grilling.) Serve in hard rolls with mustard. (This recipe came from food.com.)
Gromperekichelcher (Potato Pancakes)
- 2 pounds potatoes (or use Simply Potatoes shredded potatoes)
- 2 medium onions
- 2 shallots
- several sprigs parsley
- 4 -6 eggs
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 -1/2 c. vegetable oil
- 2 T. flour
- applesauce for serving
Instructions
- Wash, peel and grate the potatoes. Lay them on a dishcloth or paper towel, fold it over, and press the moisture out. Put the grated potatoes into a mixing bowl. Chop the onions, shallots, and parsley, and mix with the potatoes. Beat the eggs and mix them in. Add salt and pepper to taste. Heat the oil in a frying pan until it's very hot. Meanwhile, spread the flour onto a smooth surface for working with the potatoes. Shape the potato mixture into balls and mash them to make flat cakes. Fry the potato cakes in the oil, turning once they're golden brown on both sides. (This recipe came from www.familycookbookproject.com.)
Quetschentaart (Plum Tart)
Quetschentaart, a plum tart, along with peach, cherry, and pear tarts are a typical dessert in Luxembourg and can be found in any pastry shop. (en.wikipedia.org)
Ingredients
- TART:
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 cup oil
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- FILLING:
- 5 plums
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F. To make the tart, mix together the flour, salt and sugar. In a separate bowl combine the oil, milk and extract. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix until just moistened. Transfer the dough to a 9" tart pan (or a cake pan or pie plate) and firmly pat over the bottom and sides with your fingers. Trim or flute the edges.
- Slice the plums into wedges. Arrange the slices in the tart so that they overlap slightly, covering the whole tart. Combine together the sugar, flour and butter until crumbly. Sprinkle it over the plums. Bake 30 minutes or until crust is browned nicely. Can be served plain or with whipped cream. (This recipe came from food.com.)
Read a book about Luxembourg
I couldn't find any children's books with legends from Luxembourg. If you would like to read some Luxembourgian legends, go to www.luxembourg.co.uk.
Build a model of the Adolphe Bridge
The Adolphe Bridge is an arch bridge in Luxembourg City. It has become an unofficial national symbol , representing Luxembourg's independence, and has become one of Luxembourg City's main tourist attractions. (en.wikipedia.org)
Create a model of the Adolphe Bridge out of toothpicks by following the directions at www.ehow.com. If you have younger children or are short on time, simply build an arch bridge using blocks or Lego's bricks.
Pray for the people of Luxembourg
To find out about the religious nature of Luxembourg and specific ways you can pray for the country, go to operationworld.org.
Where is Luxembourg City, the capital of Luxembourg?
I have not yet been to Luxembourg. Have you?
Other option for the letter X
There are no countries that begin with the letter X. Luxembourg contains the letter X as does Mexico. To "visit" Mexico, go to M is for Mexico.
Ready to visit other countries?
Ready to visit another country?
Go to Around the World in 26 Letters to find links to all the countries we "visited." Each webpage features a menu, craft, books, video clips, worksheets, and more!
© 2011 Shannon
