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Papua New GuineaFlavors · Luxembourg
Sweet made from leavened laminated dough, covered with sugar icing and almonds, shaped into a loop that resembles two entwined arms. It is the gift of Bretzelsonndeg, the fourth Sunday of Lent, when men give it to the women they care for.
Traditional sweet from Luxembourg
Also known as: Bretzel luxembourgeois
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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Bretzel — Luxembourg
The Luxembourgish bretzel is a sweet made from leavened laminated dough, rolled into a loop and topped with a layer of sugar icing (fondant) and almonds. According to the official government portal, the shape represents the entwined arms of two lovers. Originally, bretzels were savory; today the sweet version is the most common, and there are also filled varieties.
The pastry has its own day. Bretzelsonndeg, the bretzel Sunday, is the fourth Sunday of Lent, marking the midpoint of that period. By tradition, on that morning men buy a bretzel for the woman they fancy.
The answer comes at Easter. If the feeling is mutual, the woman gives the man an egg; once chicken eggs, today chocolate eggs—sometimes filled with pralines—are common. If the feeling is not reciprocated, he receives an empty basket, which gave rise to the Luxembourgish expression Kuerf kréien (“to get the basket”) for someone who was rejected.
In leap years the roles are reversed and women offer the bretzel.
In the weeks around Bretzelsonndeg, bakeries and pastry shops across the country sell bretzels in various sizes. Do not confuse it with the savory German pretzel tradition.
Luxembourg
Bretzelsonndeg sweet throughout the country.
Leavened laminated dough (flour, yeast, milk, butter, sugar, egg), sugar icing (fondant) and almonds.
In slices, with coffee; often offered whole as a gift.
Bretzelsonndeg, the fourth Sunday of Lent, and the weeks around it.
Your questions
The fourth Sunday of Lent. By tradition, men give a sweet bretzel to the woman they like, and the answer comes at Easter with an egg.
It began as savory, but the sweet version with fondant and almonds is now dominant.
The tradition switches sides: the woman is the one who gives the sweet.
Flavors of Luxembourg
Cake baked in thin layers around a rotating spit in front of a flame, forming rings like those of a tree trunk. It arrived in Luxembourg from another European tradition and became a sweet for weddings and large celebrations.
Thick green‑bean soup with potato, onion, bacon and sausage, served as a main course. It’s a traditional Luxembourgish home soup and is served at Buergbrennen bonfires after Carnival.
Small human-shaped brioche pastry, with raisins for eyes and sometimes a small white pipe. It is the sweet of Saint Nicholas and Advent in Luxembourg, sold in bakeries in the weeks before Christmas.
Cold salad of cooked beef cut into cubes, with hard‑boiled egg, pickled cucumber and a mustard‑and‑vinegar dressing. It originated as a way to use leftover boiled meat and has been made for generations in Luxembourgish homes.
Flat patties made from grated potato with onion, parsley and seasonings, fried until crispy. Official tourism presents them as a national dish, and they are traditional at fairs and Christmas markets.
Smoked pork neck, slow-cooked and served sliced with fava beans in a creamy sauce and boiled potatoes. It is the dish most often cited as Luxembourg’s national dish.
Simple dumplings made from a batter of flour, milk and eggs, cooked in water and served with fried bacon or melted butter. They are home-style, winter food, with recipes passed down through generations.
Open tart with a buttery crust topped with Quetschen plums arranged in circles, baked until the fruit releases its juices. It is Luxembourg’s autumn tart, made when the plums ripen, usually in September.
Sweet strips of dough tied into loose, irregular knots, fried until golden and dusted with powdered sugar. They are Luxembourg’s Carnival sweet and are still often made at home.
Pork sausages browned in a skillet and served in a creamy Luxembourgish mustard sauce, with mashed potatoes. The name means “wine sausage with mustard sauce.”
Meat pie in a golden crust, filled with a pork and veal ragù and finished with a Riesling wine jelly. It is a specialty of the capital’s pastry shop and, according to the family that sells it, was created in the city of Luxembourg in 1928.
