Crowds Flock to 56th International Bazaar

On Monday morning, the 2-day annual International Bazaar at LuxExpo opened to the public.

This year’s 56th annual bazaar included 73 stands from no less than 61 different countries; the principal charity for 2016 is Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation, Hanoi (www.bluedragon.org), run by a charitable organisation in Vietnam. Its aim is to help street children, disabled children and children who are victims of human trafficking in Vietnam and the surrounding border areas.

Support will also be given to three charities based in Luxembourg: Trauerwee asbl, Tétange; Fondation Kriibskank Kanner, Strassen; and Fondation Autisme Luxembourg, Capellen. 20 other projects in developing countries run by Luxembourg organisations will also receive funds from the Bazaar. They include SOS Faim Luxembourg asbl in Benin; Le Soleil dans la Main asbl, Winseler, in Burkina Faso; Handicap International, Luxembourg, in Cambodia; CSI Lëtzebuerg in Congo (DRC); Espoir pour les Enfants d’Haïti asbl, Pétange, in Haiti; Terres des Hommes asbl, Hespérange, in Nicaragua; and Zangdok Palri asbl, Howald, in Tibet.

HRH the Grand Duchess and HRH the Hereditary Grand Duchess arrived late morning, with Erika Ehrhard, President of the Bazar International, showing them around the halls, accompanied by Mars di Bartholomeo, President of the Chamber of Deputies (parliament) and Lydie Polfer, Mayor of Luxembourg city (Prime Minister Xavier Bettel attended in a private capacity). First stop for the official party was the Luxembourg stand, then the British Stand and then onto Scandinavia and others.

Of particular interest for the Grand Duckess and Hereditary Grand Duchess were the Luxembourg slippers and jewellery at the Luxembourg stand, and tea-towels and Christmas Crackers at the British stand.