The Octave in honor of Our Lady of Luxembourg
Digital IKI
Due to the measures taken to control the coronavirus epidemic (COVID-19), people can’t take part in the Octave in person this year, while the Mäertchen has been cancelled completely.
The Oktave in honour of the Virgin Mary, Comforter of the Afflicted, has been on the register of Luxembourg’s national intangible heritage since 2007. Keeping the intangible heritage alive gives us a sense of identity and continuity. Thus, individuals and organisations work towards keeping traditions like the Oktave alive every year.
For these reasons, the Luxembourg Commission for UNESCO, the Ministry of Culture, the CNA, the Photothèque of the City of Luxembourg, the City of Luxembourg, the iHist Institute of the University of Luxembourg, the Archdiocese and the Luxemburger Wort invite you on a historical tour of the Oktave this year - in digital form.
Explore the fascinating history of the Oktave from the 2 May 2020 onwards with photo essays, quizzes, and story maps. Covering the Mäertchen, the tradition of pilgrimages and the Closing Procession, amongst others, there’s something for everyone here!
Visit us on Facebook for regular updates and take part in the event! Also, do the quiz on processions in Luxembourg and discover our story map on the closing procession of the Oktave.
The Oktave
The “Octave”, an annual period of pilgrimage dedicated to Our Lady of Luxembourg, took shape in the 17th century. On 8 December 1624 a statue of the Virgin Mary was carried to the glacis outside the fortress of Luxembourg by Father Jacques Brocquart SJ and a group of pupils from the Jesuit School. The statue was placed in a chapel in 1628, and became the centre of a major pilgrimage. Since the French Revolution, which led to the destruction of the Glacis Chapel, the statue now has its permanent home in the former Jesuit Church, now Luxembourg Cathedral.
The keen devotion to Mary among the people of Luxembourg largely emerged following two key dates: in 1666 the political authorities chose Mary, under the title of Consoler of the Afflicted, as Patroness of the City, and in 1678 of the whole Duchy of Luxembourg. This was the origin of the “Octave”, a popular pilgrimage with strong national overtones which has continued until the present day. Initially it lasted a week, but it has been extended for a second week and takes place from the third to the fifth Sunday after Easter. Pilgrims from the Grand Duchy, including many of the most senior figures in society, are joined by pilgrims from the Greater Region, from the territories which once belonged to the former Duchy of Luxembourg.
The choosing of Mary as Patroness of both city and country took place against a background of war, famine, plague and many kinds of affliction, in which the Mother of God was seen as a heavenly figure working for the good of those who venerate her and consoling them in their sufferings. Over the centuries, this cult of Mary must have imparted the strength to live and survive in difficult and even inextricable situations, particularly during the Second World War.
Even today, the atmosphere of the city during the two weeks of the Octave still makes an impression both as a religious event and as an expression of festive culture, as does the great closing procession through the streets of the capital. For the duration of the Octave, a special market, the “Mäertchen” is held near the cathedral on Place Guillaume.
Links
Due to the measures taken to control the coronavirus epidemic (COVID-19), people can’t take part in the Octave in person this year, while the Mäertchen has been cancelled completely.
The Oktave in honour of the Virgin Mary, Comforter of the Afflicted, has been on the register of Luxembourg’s national intangible heritage since 2007. Keeping the intangible heritage alive gives us a sense of identity and continuity. Thus, individuals and organisations work towards keeping traditions like the Oktave alive every year.
For these reasons, the Luxembourg Commission for UNESCO, the Ministry of Culture, the CNA, the Photothèque of the City of Luxembourg, the City of Luxembourg, the iHist Institute of the University of Luxembourg, the Archdiocese and the Luxemburger Wort invite you on a historical tour of the Oktave this year - in digital form.
Explore the fascinating history of the Oktave from the 2 May 2020 onwards with photo essays, quizzes, and story maps. Covering the Mäertchen, the tradition of pilgrimages and the Closing Procession, amongst others, there’s something for everyone here!
Visit us on Facebook for regular updates and take part in the event! Also, do the quiz on processions in Luxembourg and discover our story map on the closing procession of the Oktave.
The Oktave
The “Octave”, an annual period of pilgrimage dedicated to Our Lady of Luxembourg, took shape in the 17th century. On 8 December 1624 a statue of the Virgin Mary was carried to the glacis outside the fortress of Luxembourg by Father Jacques Brocquart SJ and a group of pupils from the Jesuit School. The statue was placed in a chapel in 1628, and became the centre of a major pilgrimage. Since the French Revolution, which led to the destruction of the Glacis Chapel, the statue now has its permanent home in the former Jesuit Church, now Luxembourg Cathedral.
The keen devotion to Mary among the people of Luxembourg largely emerged following two key dates: in 1666 the political authorities chose Mary, under the title of Consoler of the Afflicted, as Patroness of the City, and in 1678 of the whole Duchy of Luxembourg. This was the origin of the “Octave”, a popular pilgrimage with strong national overtones which has continued until the present day. Initially it lasted a week, but it has been extended for a second week and takes place from the third to the fifth Sunday after Easter. Pilgrims from the Grand Duchy, including many of the most senior figures in society, are joined by pilgrims from the Greater Region, from the territories which once belonged to the former Duchy of Luxembourg.
The choosing of Mary as Patroness of both city and country took place against a background of war, famine, plague and many kinds of affliction, in which the Mother of God was seen as a heavenly figure working for the good of those who venerate her and consoling them in their sufferings. Over the centuries, this cult of Mary must have imparted the strength to live and survive in difficult and even inextricable situations, particularly during the Second World War.
Even today, the atmosphere of the city during the two weeks of the Octave still makes an impression both as a religious event and as an expression of festive culture, as does the great closing procession through the streets of the capital. For the duration of the Octave, a special market, the “Mäertchen” is held near the cathedral on Place Guillaume.
Links
- Oktavlidd "Léif Mamm, ech weess et net ze so’n" Versioun 1 - Georges Urwald & Franck Hemmerlé
- Oktavlidd "Léif Mamm, ech weess et net ze so’n" Versioun 2 - Georges Urwald & Franck Hemmerlé
- Geschichte und sakrale Kunst zur Oktave: Zwölf Oktave-Miniaturen in Videoform
- Marche avec nous - Octave Mariale à Luxembourg
- Website of the Archdiocese of Luxembourg
- Oktave 2020
