St. Martin's Day is really on the 11th of November. Yes, on the day that has nothing else going on.
This year, the parade was on the 9th - Sunday isn't the greatest of days for this and when you shift, why not shift it to Friday? Traditionally, the Vorschulkinder (who would be the Kindergarteners in the US) conduct the play of St. Martin (before he was a saint) sharing his cape with the poor beggar in the snow. The little ones paraded around, and Leah's age group did a song and a dance.
Leah made her lantern in preschool, Jacob crafted his with me, and he helped me make the ones for the bigger boys who came home later from school. The plan was really to have each kid make his own lantern but somehow, time ran away and I ended up doing most of the work.
We watched Leah dance which was very cute. The play was great and my cousin's boy was a fabulous St. Martin. The lantern parade was traditional with Blasmusik and the firemen guarding the kids from traffic, the Bratwurst was yummy, the Glühwein appropriate in the cold, and we all came home happy.
I love St. Martin's Day. Germany doesn't have a lot of uniquely German holidays that do it for me -- I mean, I think Unification Day is wonderful, but I don't respond strongly to it emotionally. But St. Martin's Day? Great.
Doug M.
Posted by: Doug M. | November 10, 2012 at 03:05 PM