Squiz Kids acknowledges the traditional owners of the lands on which we podcast, the Turrbal and Combermeri people.
This is a Squiz Kids podcast. Your fresh take on what's happening in the world around you.
Each fortnight we give the world globe a spin and see where we land.
Then we take the kids of Australia on an audio excursion to visit that country and its people.
I am Christy Kidgerina and today on Squiz the World we're visiting a tiny country where many people speak at least four languages.
You can drive across the entire nation in about an hour and public transport is completely free for everyone, even tourists.
Can you guess? Strap yourselves into the Squiz Kids super fast supersonic jetliner as we take off and take a squiz at Luxembourg.
Just the facts. Luxembourg might be one of Europe's smallest countries, but don't let its size fool you.
It's so strategically placed that it's become one of Europe's most important little nations.
This tiny country is wedged between France, Germany, and Belgium.
And depending on where you live, it's perfectly normal to pop across the border for lunch or even a quick shopping trip.
And how's this? Greater Sydney is nearly five times bigger than the entire country of Luxembourg.
You could drive from one end to the other in about an hour.
But here's where it gets really interesting.
Luxembourg has the highest proportion of foreigners living there of any country in Europe.
Nearly half of the population.
And during the day, the population swells from 680 ,000 to about 900 ,000 people because 220 ,000 cross -border workers commute in from neighbouring countries.
It's like the entire population of the city of Hobart comes to work in Luxembourg every single day.
The capital, Luxembourg City, sits in a dramatic gorge with ancient bridges connecting different parts of the city, making it look like something straight out of a fairy tale.
Which is pretty fitting because Luxembourg has over 100 real castles scattered throughout the countryside.
And here's where this little country really punches above its weight.
It's home to some of Europe's most important institutions.
The European Court of Justice is based there, which is basically the highest court for all the European Union countries.
Plus, Luxembourg was one of the founding members of both NATO and the European Union, helping to to build Europe as we know it today.
Not bad for a country you can drive across in just an hour.
And whenever you travel, it's important to know a little bit about the place that you're visiting.
So let's get cultural.
The name Luxembourg comes from an old Latin word which means little fortress.
Way back in 963 CE, that's over a thousand years ago, Count Siegfried spotted this rocky cliff and thought, hmm, perfect spot for a castle.
And that's exactly what he built.
Here's something really special.
It's the only Grand Duchy in the world.
And that means that instead of having a king or queen, they have a grand duke.
And the current grand duke is Henri or Henry, who's been ruling since 2000.
Imagine being the only person in the world with a job subtitle.
If you're thinking of going to Luxembourg, late August is a great time to visit because Luxembourg city hosts the Schuberthura, a massive fun fair that's been running since 1340.
That's nearly 700 years.
Picture your state's royal show like the Royal Easter Show or the Yakka with rides, games, fairy floss and show bags without the animals and this one's been going since before before Shakespeare was even born.
And remember those 100 -plus castles I mentioned?
Well, many of them, like the fairy tale perfect Vientiane Castle, host medieval festivals and Christmas markets.
Imagine living in a country where actual castle adventures are just a short drive away.
Amazing. Now, whenever you travel, it's important to learn a few words in that country's language.
It's a great way to show respect.
So let's learn the lingo.
Most people who went to school in Luxembourg can speak four languages fluently.
The three official languages, Luxembourgish, German and French, and also English.
And the Luxembourgish people are masters of mixing languages mid -conversation.
Picture this, you're talking to a stranger And you literally cycle through Luxembourgish, German, French and English Or other languages as well Until you figure out what language works best for both of you And here's a language fact that'll make you go Huh?
In Luxembourgish, there's no word for love When people want to tell someone that they love them The words they say literally mean I like you So if someone from Luxembourg says they like you they might actually mean that they love you.
We are so lucky to have with a six -year -old Squizkid, Ben, who lives in Sydney and speaks Luxembourgish.
Take it away, Ben. Hi, my name is Ben and I am six years old.
I speak Luxembourgish because both my parents are from Luxembourg.
Ben, how would you say hello and how are you?
This is how you say hello.
This is how you say how are you.
Ve git it. Go on, you give it a try.
Mwen ve git et. People are always really grateful when you just try to speak their language.
Ben, can you finish up by saying goodbye in Luxembourgish?
Adi. Adi. Now that we've learned a little bit of the local lingo, I think it might be...
Time for school. Speaking of languages, going to school in Luxembourg is like being enrolled in a language boot camp, but in the best possible way.
Here's how it works.
lots of primary school is taught in german then when you hit late secondary school things switch to french luxembourgish is used in the early years and english is taught as a fourth language it's like your brain becomes a superpowered translator and kids whose families are from other countries often speak a fifth language at home imagine casually switching between four different languages during your school day school runs from september to july which is pretty much the opposite of Australia's February to November school year.
And with nearly half the population being from other countries, Luxembourg schools are like a mini United Nations, where kids from dozens of different cultures learn together.
Something that's also pretty different to Australia is that when kids turn 12, they and their parents choose between an academic track or a vocational track.
That's like deciding in year seven whether you want to focus on university preparation or hands -on job training.
The good news is that class sizes are tiny, only 15 to 20 students, so teachers can give everyone heaps of individual attention.
And all this school chat has made me hungry, I think it must be dinner time.
When it comes to food, Luxembourg is like a delicious meeting point where German, French and Belgian cuisines shake hands and create something unique.
The national dish is called Udmat Gardebonen which is smoked pork collar with broad beans.
It sounds fancy but it's basically comfort food that's been warming Luxembourg bellies for centuries.
But here's my personal favorite Gromp Prairie Kishelshire.
These are crispy potato cakes.
Imagine if hash browns decided to become pancakes cakes and got really really good at it they're golden and crispy on the outside fluffy on the inside and absolutely perfect for dunking in apple sauce i've stuck a link to a delicious recipe in the episode notes you can find authentic food from dozens of countries because of all those expat families living there portuguese italian french german belgian it's like having a world old food festival in your backyard. Time for the quiz.
This is the part of the podcast where you get to test how well you've been listening.
Question number one, what is the title of Henri who rules the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg?
He is known as the Grand Duke.
Question number two, how long has Luxembourg's Shubhafura Fun Fair been running?
Is it A, nearly 70 years, B, nearly 700 years or C, nearly 7 ,000 years?
That's right. It's B, nearly 700 years.
Question number three.
What are the three official languages of Luxembourg?
And I'll give you a hint.
English isn't one of them.
Amazing work if you remembered that it's German, French and Luxembourgish.
Well, that's all we have time for today.
Thanks for staying curious about the world and joining me on this incredible trip to Luxembourg.
Now get out there and have a most excellent day.
Over and out.
