Feast of St. Willaibrord in Luxembourg

On Tuesday after the Trinity is celebrated the feast in honor of St. Willaibrord.The Tuesday after the Trinity in Echternach celebrates a feast in honor of St. Willaibrord, the patron saint of Luxembourg, whose remains are kept in the city's Basilica.

According to this tradition, which dates from at least the year of the death of St. Willaibrord (739), pilgrims dance to purify their sins. Participants gather in the square in front of the city abbey, dance to the blows of a huge bell of the 16th century, march through the streets of the city and climb to the Basilica to visit the remains of the saint.

According to legend, the melody they dance to was played on a violin by a medieval thief. As a final wish before his execution, he asked to play it in the city market. The melody was so lively that people began to dance, and in the resulting disorder he managed to escape, escaping punishment.

The tradition was then adopted by Christians in honor of St. Willaibrord in an attempt to get rid of the horror of diseases such as St. Witt’s dance and the plague. It now occupies an important place in the Catholic calendar, attracting pilgrims from all over Europe.