Happy New Year!
Dave's friends from work, Mirko and Mickael invited us to a New Year's Eve party. Dave and I were feeling kind of tired and not very social but we went anyway and we had a great time. I noticed some big differences between this party and parties I've been to back home. One was that everyone was pretty dressed up. Another thing was that everyone was very, very cordial and they all introduced themselves to us, each other, and made a point of going around to everyone to at least say hello. Nobody was left out. I think if we were invited as newcomers to a party like this back home it would be more casual, and we would have to make more of an effort to meet people.
We also learned of some interesting New Year's traditions: you wear at least some of the color red, eat lentils for prosperity the coming year, and at midnight you dip your finger in champagne and wipe it on your friend's necks for good luck.
As soon as it was midnight EVERYONE went around and kissed and said "Bonne Anne" or "Happy New Year" to everyone else. It was so nice. Dave and I were both so touched and felt very welcomed to this party.
On our way home we found a champagne bottle in the street, probably used for setting off bottle rockets. Fireworks seemed to be pretty popular here - people had their own stash of them and were setting them off from their apts. It felt like Luxembourg came alive for the night. We ran into our neighbors who were doing the same and we finally got to talk to them at length. Both are from Germany and of course they speak perfect English.
Wishing you all the best and happiest and luckiest for 2009!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!
Dave and his buddies: Mirko (from Italy), and Mickael (from France)
Mickael and his girlfriend Sophie (also from France)
Mirko and his girlfriend Elizabeth (from Ireland).
Our neighbors shooting off fireworks.
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