Recent statistics reveal a unique reality: in European territory there is a country where Portuguese is the second most spoken language, after the national language. In addition to this particularity, in this country, traditional compliance is not made with two, but with three kisses, a habit that distinguishes the residents of this small state from other neighbors from the continent.
According to the Statec Statistical Portal, in Luxembourg Portuguese is the second most spoken language. The 2021 census indicates that 48.9% of the population considers Luxembourg as the main language. Soon after, 15.4% of the inhabitants identify Portuguese as a predominant language in their daily lives, placing the French only in third position, with 14.9%. In the family, the Portuguese language is spoken regularly by 18.8% of residents.
The weight of the Lusophone community
In the differdange commune, for example, almost half of the population, about 41.4%, uses Portuguese at home, according to the same source. In Diekirch, only 4.7% indicate Portuguese as the main language, but 30.8% of inhabitants resort to the language in a domestic environment.
The contact newspaper writes that this trend also extends to work. In Diekirch, 28.7% of workers say they speak Portuguese at the employment site. In Echternach, 33.2% of residents use Portuguese at home and 27.9% at work, although in school space the percentage is lower: only 6.3% of students resort to the Portuguese language.
Portuguese in the public space
Despite its relevance, Portuguese is rarely referred to as the main language in several communes, refers to the same source. In the city of Luxembourg, only 2% of inhabitants indicate Portuguese as a priority, although 10.9% speak at home and 6.9% at work.
It explains what, in the labor context, the Frenchman assumes protagonism, being used by 68.7% of residents. Already in songs such as Clervaux, strikenmacher, Redange, Vianden and Wiltz, the Luxembourg remains the dominant language, reinforcing the country’s trilingual character.
Small but unique country
Luxembourg is one of the few Grand Ducates in the world and maintains a political system of parliamentary monarchy. The weight loss clinic adds, which, despite its reduced area of 2,600 square kilometers and just over 620,000 inhabitants, the country has about 130 castles and is among the most prosperous economies in Europe, based mainly on the financial sector.
According to the same source, about 17% of the population is of Portuguese origin, which helps explain the relevance of the language of Camões. The daily flow of workers from France, Germany and Belgium (over 200,000 people) also contributes to the characteristic linguistic mosaic of the grain-ducked.
Three kisses and a motto
Another cultural trait is the way of greeting: instead of the usual two kisses, in Luxembourg there are three. It is a social tradition that differentiates the country in the European context. The national motto is also revealing: “Mir Wëlle Bleiwe, War Mir Sin”, translated as “We want to continue to be what we are.” It reflects the desire to preserve independence and identity after centuries of historical disputes.
Also read:
