Saint Martin's Day

This is a Catholic holiday that is celebrated throughout Germany the way non-Christians would celebrate Christmas (to a lesser degree). The story goes that good old Saint Martin was traveling the city on horseback one late autumns night when he came across a beggar. It was terribly cold out, and the beggar had very little clothing. So, Saint Martin (who I'm sure was just plain old 'Martin' at this time) cut his cape in half and gave it to the old man. So, his kindness not only turned him into a saint, but THE saint of generosity.

Why he didn't give the old man the whole coat is beyond me.

The tradition gets carried on through Saint Martins Day, which is November 7th, and the entire town gathers with their children to parade through the streets. This isn't what makes the holiday interesting. The best part is that the children all carry handmade lanternen, or lanterns, of all shapes, sizes, colors and creativity while singing the accompanying lanterne song.

In the front and rear of the parade are small matching bands, followed by a 72 year old man dressed up as Saint Martin riding the most majestic horse you've ever seen. At the finishing point of the parade is an incredibly massive bonfire where everyone gathers around to watch a mock performance of the fateful Saint Martin's Night, beggar, ripped coat and all.

When the performance is over, the children are given a bag full of goodies, which reinforce the idea of generosity, and varies in treats depending on the town. There is one commonality, however, and that is the weckmann. A weckmann is a sweet German bread that is shaped like a man, complete with the signature piece that defines this type of loaf - a pipe.

At this point, the kids are so happy with their treats that the parents are forced to carry the lanterns home. I made The Boy's lantern, a roboter, or robot. We ended up referring to it as Optimus Prime. Whatever, 5 year old boys can do what they like.
Optimus Prime and me (notice that even robots have hearts?... AND BRAINS!)