International Bazar

December is that time of the year when people start reflecting on how much life has given them compared to others. Well, it is at this time that many people feel the urge to help others around, making the life of the less fortunate a bit easier in a way or another.

Luxembourg makes no exception really, and it shouldn’t, by all means. Every year, just weeks before Christmas a large group of compassionate people organise the ‘International Bazar’, a charity event aimed at raising funds for those who face all sorts of hardship across the world.
As you may know, Luxembourg is a small country where many cultures and languages alike come together to form an internationally-oriented and culturally enriched place. This small country may not be the place of birth of many individuals, but has certainly become a second home for a considerably large population.

Therefore, when it comes to the ‘International Bazar’ the initiative is valuable for everyone in Luxembourg, both locals and expatriates.

Romanian traditional dish ‘Sarmale’ was served at the event.

Here’s the deal, over two days – this year it took place on the 1th and 2nd of December – members of the international community, people of many ethnicities and cultures prepare traditional food recipes and sell goods produced in their native countries. For the locals, it is a great opportunity to explore the authentic culture and cuisine of countries such as Turkey, Japan, Romania, Hungary, El Salvador, Kenya or Brazil, while still being 10 minutes away from home. On the other side, people originating from these countries who have settled down in Luxembourg finally get the chance to portray and promote their ethnic/cultural identity.

At the end of the 2 days, the success of the event was achieved through the cultural exchange that took place, but most importantly by raising valuable amounts of money later allocated to registered charities in all participating countries.

The ‘International Bazar’ now at its 52nd edition brought together over 50 countries and it surely promises to grew larger and larger every year. And by far, the highlight of this year’s edition was the performance of a belly dancer from Azerbaijan 🙂

If you read these words, thank you very much for getting this far. Also, if I aroused your curiosity, find out the full story of the ‘International Bazar’ here.