In the French Revolutionary Calendar today is known as Liège (Day of cork) which is also the name of a city in Belgium. 10 facts about Liège, Belgium:
Liège is the second-largest city in the French-speaking region of Wallonia and the fifth-largest city in Belgium.
The name comes from the Germanic word liudiz meaning "people". It also has a couple of nicknames. In France they refer to it as la cité ardente ("the fervent city") which comes from a novel by Count Henri Carton de Wiart about the city’s resistance to massacres by Charles the Bold. Another nickname is “City of 1000 Windows” as it has many beautiful buildings with large Windows.
Until 17 September 1946, the city's name was written with an acute accent instead of a grave accent.
The Romans called it Leodium. In 705 Saint Lambert, a bishop, was murdered there and a chapel was built there to honour him, and in 721 Saint Hubert transferred his see there and the town came into existence.
It was ruled for a long time by prince-bishops, the first of which was called Notger. According to local legends, the prince-bishops made pacts with the Devil to gain power and wealth, along with tales of them disappearing into the river which runs through the city, the Meuse. Another related legend speaks of the daughter of a prince-bishop who was forbidden to see her commoner lover, and so drowned herself in the river. Her ghost is said to haunt the river to this day, looking for her lost love. Then there are tales of treasure that the prince-bishops squirrelled away in secret locations in the city. People have searched, hoping to get lucky, but none of it has ever been found.
Another local legend is about the nearby Ardennes Forest, where there was said to be a dragon which terrorised the city. A knight from Liège is said to have slain the dragon.
Liège is considered to be the Waffle capital of the world, renowned for its waffles made with pearl sugar.
In August there is a huge celebration in honour of The Virgin Mary, which includes a religious procession, a flea market, dances, concerts, and a series of popular games. In winter, Liège hosts one of the oldest and biggest Christmas markets in the country.
The Dalhem Horse, a rare and elegant breed of horse, originated in the region around Liège.
Its Sister Cities include Nancy and Lille, France; Cologne, Germany; Rotterdam, Netherlands; Turin, Italy; Porto, Portugal; and Kraków, Poland. Volgograd in Russia was a sister city, but due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, their sistership has been revoked.
Christmas is coming!
A Very Variant Christmas
Last year, Jade and Gloria were embroiled in a bitter conflict to win back their throne and their ancestral home. This year, Queen Jade and Princess Gloria want to host the biggest and best Christmas party ever in their palace. They invite all their friends to come and bring guests. Not even the birth of Jade's heir just before Christmas will stop them.
The guest list includes most of Britain's complement of super-powered crime-fighters, their families and friends. What could possibly go wrong?
Gatecrashers, unexpected arrivals, exploding Christmas crackers and a kidnapping, for starters.
Far away in space, the Constellations, a cosmic peacekeeping force, have suffered a tragic loss. They need to recruit a new member to replace their dead colleague. The two top candidates are both at Jade and Gloria's party. The arrival of the recruitment delegation on Christmas Eve is a surprise for everyone; but their visit means one guest now faces a life-changing decision.
Meanwhile, an alliance of the enemies of various guests at the party has infiltrated the palace; they hide in the dungeon, plotting how best to get rid of the crime-fighters and the royal family once and for all. Problem is, they all have their own agendas and differences of opinion on how to achieve their aims.
Not to mention that this year, the ghosts who walk the corridors of the palace on Christmas Eve will be as surprised by the living as the living are by them.
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