I am doing NaBloPoMo this month. 30 blog posts in 30 days. You can read more about it on San’s blog the in between is mine. #nablopomo2022
In the North of Germany November 10th is a special day. After dark kids will go from house to house sometimes with lanterns, sometimes without and sing a short song or recite a ‘poem’ (there are some very short ones that are more like trick-or-treat). In return they will receive candy (or fruit but mostly candy). It was my Halloween equivalent growing up (without the costumes).
In school I learned the story of St. Martin who (sitting on is horse) cut his coat in half with a sword to share it with a beggar in the middle of winter and that is why people now share candy with kids who ask for them (there was a whole song about it I and my friends learned one year). When I just looked it up I also learned that it is Martin Luther’s birthday (the priest who some may know from the protestant reformation).
Once again the tradition is much older than that though. In the Julian calendar it marked the beginning of winter and farm hands in the North were dismissed on that day. The families went from house to house and begged for gifts because they had to make it through the winter month without work.
There are a quite a few songs that every child in Germany knows that are about the lanterns the children carry. Lantern parades are a custom almost anywhere even though Martinssingen might not (I think that is specific to the northern part of Germany).
Ich geh mit meiner Laterne
und meine Laterne mit mir.
Dort oben leuchten die Sterne
und unten leuchten wir.
I am walking with my lantern
and my lantern walks with me.
The stars blink up there
We blink down here.
Sounds really odd in English – I definitely need more practice translating things 😉
Is there a custom in your part of your country that is specific to the area? I can’t come up with anything in California but then, I know little of the rest of the US.
The German preschool in town had their annual lantern parade last weekend. We did not go anymore but you can find those traditions in the US, too if you live in an area that has a German expat/immigration community and they will sing those same songs I learned as a kid. I crafted quite a few lanterns with my kids when they were younger.
Besides the Martinssingen there was also a separate lantern parade organized by the preschool in my home town each year. The voluntary fire department walked with us on our little walk around town (to extinguish the lantern that went up in flames – yes, we used real candles) and some of the older kids carried torches (what I thought was the coolest thing). Sometimes we also had musicians accompany us. I wonder if they still do this? Gets me a little nostalgic.
Home here and there 
What a beautiful tradition! I loved reading about the origins of this holiday. I am not aware of any special traditions in my part of the country (midwest), nor in the northwest where I grew up.
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It’s something I never thought about before. Since I was not born in the US I was wondering because I feel like there are some things you don’t pick up if you have not lived in a place all your life (at least in Germany that’s the case).
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This is fascinating!
I can’t think of a local custom that stands out…but it does make me think of family traditions. They’re so unifying, especially around the holidays, and I make an effort to make traditions for our favourite occassions (e.g. at Christmas we have honed a very specific menu we follow quite closely each year, we now go to a beach for a walk/somewhere outside on Christmas Day even though it could be cold/snowy!, we have specific gifts we give each year, like a new ornament and custom photo calendars).
Anything – done year over year – becomes quite powerful in memory and nostalgia…
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Yes, it does, doesn’t it? There are certain German traditions my kids grow up with but they will always remember their Halloween’s and Thanksgivings and the camping trip with friends each summer. I cherish these memories so much that I hope the same will be true for my own children one day.
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I love this! It must have been so fun. There’s something thrilling as a kid about holding real fire- I’m wondering if they still do that!
I once had a client who grew up in Russia and I asked him if he missed it. He said “Well… I miss my childhood.” I’m imagining that’s how you must feel at times like this. Not so much homesick for Germany, but missing those days as a child when you celebrated Martinssingen.
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Oh yes, the thing about fire 😉 Every year in Germany the cousins make bread on a stick over an open fire and it’s entertainment for the whole evening 😉
I do miss my childhood sometimes but mostly I am glad about the memories and I hope my children will have their own set when they are my age.
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Does one say ‘Happy Martinssingen’? If so, then Happy Martinssingen! Do you do any of the traditions around it with your kids here in California? My BIL’s family is Scandinavian, and they celebrate St. Lucia’s day, just in their household though.
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No, we do not say happy Martinssingen but thank you anyway 😉 We do celebrate some of the German traditions (St. Niokolaus Day is coming up on December 6, so stay tuned) but by far not all. I know a family who has their routes in Sweden and they do celebreate St. Lucia as well. There is even an event in San Francisco I believe. I guess when the local community is big enough, that will make it easier (like the German preschool here having the lantern parade each November).
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I used to love St. Martin’s Day as a kid. I think I have blogged about the tradition before and I love that you also shared your memories about it. My sister is an elementary school teacher and she crafts lanterns for St. Martin’s Day every year with her class and then they have the parade. So fun.
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Fun, right? I still remember saving those round cheese boxes to make lanterns when we were little.
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St. Martin was always a dear holiday too. For us it often started with a sort of church service where we heard the story of St. Martin and then afterwards was the lantern parade. I however can not remember that we got candy or such things. Best years were when someone came with a horse and played St. Martin and shared the coat. That was the best. My niece and nephew also love it and I am just wondering that I haven’t gotten any pictures of this years lanterns.
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That sounds really fun, too! We did not have a church service but sometimes the horseback riding school would put something on and went through town with someone dressed up and others following and singing the St. Martins song. I was so impressed when I saw it.
The candy thing is not everywhere in Germany. I think my brother lived somewhere at some point where there was no going from house to house and he was left with a whole bunch of candy to finish .
I hope the lantern time is not over yet for your niece and nephew. Mine feel too old now to do it.
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What a fun tradition! Thank you for teaching us about it. I love learning about different traditions around the world.
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What a lovely tradition – thank you for sharing!
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