Saint Martin's Day

When we first interviewed at Autumn's new Kindergarten, they told me about the upcoming lantern festival for "Martinmas" like I'd know what they were referring to. A Christian tradition. They seemed genuinely surprised that this is not something we do in America. And because we don't do it in America, I thought I'd clue you in on the small details I was able to glean about this "holiday". I apologize for the poor quality pictures. I remembered my real camera . . . just forgot the memory card still stuck in the computer back home. Oops. Thank goodness for smart phones, eh?

Anyway, St. Martin's Day, or Martinstag, is usually held on November 11th and much of Berlin celebrated on this day. For whatever reason, Autumn's kindergarten had to postpone until the following Saturday (the 15th). Part of the celebrations (here in Germany, at least) are a lantern processional. It seems to be big in the various "Kitas" around the area as we passed several celebrations on our way home on Tuesday. I think much of the time they start at the school or a church and then walk in the dark with their lanterns. I don't know why there are the lanterns, to be honest. I was able to gather something about this being the time when "winter" is starting basically so the days are shorter than the nights and I guess we're bringing some light? I think they used to have bonfires or something too? I don't know. It's lanterns now. They'd had a "lantern workshop" for the parents which I opted not to go to because sometimes hearing everything in German all the time is kind of exhausting. So I didn't go and instead, we headed to Toys R Us and bought Autumn a lantern for the occasion:



In the case of Autumn's Kita, we met down at a foresty lake. It's the lake we went swimming at earlier this summer. We bundled up warm and hopped on the train with Autumn's store-bought lantern and a battery operated tea light and I hoped her Waldorf school wouldn't look too poorly upon us for such "unnatural" things. (They didn't.)

While on the train, Easton filled us in a smidge on what he'd learned about "Saint Martin" in school from his German teacher. I guess Martin was a soldier and then he became a monk and one evening he was out riding a horse wearing his giant cloak that also covered part of the horse too on a really chilly night and came upon a beggar and Martin whipped out his sword and the beggar was thinking, 'Oh no, I'm a goner' but Martin used it to cut his cloak to give to the beggar to keep him from freezing to death. And then maybe he became a bishop. Martin. Not the beggar.

Anyway, after our train ride we got to the edge of the Schlachtensee and met up with everyone. The Kita teacher offered Ah-Toom (how they say her name) one of their lanterns but she declined in favor of her horsey one. So they gave a paper lantern on a real wood stick to each of our boys. It even had a real candle inside. Boys and fire. Woo hoo!



Then we began our procession. The Germans all sang songs they know by heart for this occasion. I recognized words here and there and sang "This Little Light of Mine" quietly with Autumn. It was really neat to be walking this quiet path on the edge of a lake and looking forward and behind me to see all the little lanterns bobbing along in the dark with the soft a cappella voices.

The lake is not small so we got to some point and they sang again and then we all turned around and headed back. When we reached the starting spot, they set up tables with drinks. I don't know what it was. We didn't have any of it. And then everyone put their lanterns all in a big mass:



Then they passed out baskets of small breads (many with raisins, not sure if that is significant) to all the children. I guess we were supposed to say a thanks or maybe sing another song and then you're supposed to break your bread in half and give it to your neighbor (at least that's one of the Kita teachers explained to me in English) but none of the kids seemed to do that and just started to eat. Then each adult got some too. The teachers and a few others made sure to break theirs in half and share with one another perhaps symbolizing Saint Martin and the beggar each having half a cloak? I honestly don't know.



After that we decided to sneak out. It was wrapping up and we'd seen a few other families make their quiet exits as well. The kids were starving (they didn't like their breads for whatever reason) and home wasn't terribly close. But we had participated in a German tradition. And that's pretty special as we're living abroad and all. Perhaps next year I will understand more about all of it and can fill you in further. Until then, there's this if you're interested.