Martinstag

Each year on the 11th of November children walk the streets of Germany with homemade lanterns to celebrate St. Martinstag (St. Martin's Day). Martinstag is named after St. Martin of Tours, a Roman soldier who became a monk after being baptised as an adult. He eventually obtained sainthood from the Catholic Church for being a kind man who cut his cloak in half to share with a beggar during a snowstorm. Generally, the villages' Kindergarten (preschool) organize a lantern parade. So, I invited myself (if I am being honest) to our friends' daughter's (Emely) parade so I could see what the day was about.

Emely's Lantern, a lamb

The kindergarten students formed a circle as the teacher told us the story of St. Martinstag. The children sang a few songs and then the parents lit their lanterns.

Beginning our walk

(Petra and Emely)

Waiting to cross the street

Singing to the train and the passengers as they unloaded.

Every so often we would stop and the children would form a circle and sing songs about their lanterns.

"Hab' a Lichtle im Laternla,

(I have a light and a lantern)
scheint so hell fast wie a Sternla,

(seems almost as bright as a star)
kommt der Wind (pft pft)

(the wind)
bläst es aus (pft pft)

(blows it out)
und ich steh im Dunkeln draus!"

(and now I stand in the dark)

After the parade, we went back to the kindergarten and ate pretzels and cookies and drank tea.

Playing "Top Model" at Petra, Thorsten, and Emile's...and Scooby's too

Another part of the tradition is for St. Martin to leave good boys and girls treats when they go to sleep. Since St. Martin doesn't know where I live because I am American, his elf, Petra, delivered mine for him. In my bag I received various nuts, Clementines, gummies, and chocolate.