The Grand Duke's Official Birthday (
Luxembourgish
Luxembourgish ( ; also ''Luxemburgish'', ''Luxembourgian'', ''Letzebu(e)rgesch''; Luxembourgish: ) is a West Germanic language that is spoken mainly in Luxembourg. About 400,000 people speak Luxembourgish worldwide.
As a standard form of th ...
: ''Groussherzogsgebuertsdag'', french: Célébration publique de l'anniversaire du souverain), also known as Luxembourgish National Day ( lb, Lëtzebuerger Nationalfeierdag, french: Fête nationale luxembourgeoise, german: Luxemburgischer Nationalfeiertag), is celebrated as the annual
national holiday of
Luxembourg
Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...
. It is celebrated on 23 June, although this has never been the actual birthday of any ruler of Luxembourg. When the
monarch of Luxembourg is female, it is known as the Grand Duchess's Official Birthday.
Development of the holiday
The monarch's birthday has not always been celebrated on 23 June. Under
William I
William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 10 ...
(1815–1840), the date was 24 April (although his actual birthday was 24 August), and under
William II (1840–1849), it was 6 December, his actual birthday. Because William I abdicated between 24 April and 6 December, the holiday was celebrated twice in 1840.
Under
William III (1849–1890), the date was set at 17 June until 1859, after which his birthday was celebrated on 19 February, two days after his actual birthday.
With the separation of the
orders of succession, the
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
and Luxembourgish thrones split in 1890. The
Nassau-Weilburg
The House of Nassau-Weilburg, a branch of the House of Nassau, ruled a division of the County of Nassau, which was a state in what is now Germany, then part of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1344 to 1806.
On 17 July 1806, upon the dissolution of t ...
monarchs celebrated their official birthdays on their actual birthdays. In 1947, the day was declared the 'national holiday'.
As both the then-reigning
Charlotte
Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
and the
heir apparent
An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...
(and
regent
A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...
)
Jean
Jean may refer to:
People
* Jean (female given name)
* Jean (male given name)
* Jean (surname)
Fictional characters
* Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character
* Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations
* Jea ...
were born in January, it was feared that their actual birthdays, therefore the nation's holiday, would be marred by poor weather. Thus, on 23 December 1961, the date was fixed on 23 June by
Grand Ducal decree
The Grand Duke of Luxembourg ( lb, Groussherzog vu Lëtzebuerg, french: Grand-duc de Luxembourg, german: Großherzog von Luxemburg) is the monarchical head of state of Luxembourg. Luxembourg has been a grand duchy since 15 March 1815, when it w ...
.
See also
*
King's Official Birthday
The King's Official Birthday (alternatively the Queen's Official Birthday when the monarch is female) is the selected day in the United Kingdom and most Commonwealth realms on which the birthday of the monarch is officially celebrated in those ...
, a similar celebration in the
Commonwealth realms
*
Koningsdag
''Koningsdag'' () or King's Day is a national holiday in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Celebrated on 27 April (26 April if the 27th is a Sunday), the date marks the birth of King Willem-Alexander. When the Dutch monarch is female, the holi ...
, a similar celebration in the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
References
{{Luxembourg topics
National symbols of Luxembourg
National days
June observances
Official Birthday
A birthday is the anniversary of the birth of a person, or figuratively of an institution. Birthdays of people are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with birthday gifts, birthday cards, a birthday party, or a rite of passage.
Many reli ...
Birthdays of heads of state
Annual events in Luxembourg
Summer events in Luxembourg