Buergbrennen, also known as Buergsonndeg, is a traditional bonfire festival celebrated in Luxembourg and surrounding areas of Belgium, Germany, France, and Switzerland on Quadragesima Sunday, which occurs every year between February 8 and March 14. The festival marks the transition from winter to spring and has its roots in pagan rituals linked to the vernal equinox. Historically, Buergbrennen was a male-only celebration, where the most recently wedded man would light the bonfire, but it has since evolved to include women. Local authorities and youth organizations, such as Scouts, typically organize the event, which includes collecting wood, lighting the bonfire, and sometimes burning old Christmas trees or Carnival float remnants. The celebration often starts with a torchlight procession and may feature a hay cross placed in the bonfire's center. While about three-quarters of villages in Luxembourg still observe Buergbrennen, its popularity is gradually declining in neighboring countries.