On or around November 11, a now-sainted Roman soldier is celebrated for sharing. St. Martin shared his coat with a beggar, gave money to children, tried to be humble and was found by the villagers at night with lanterns, hidden with geese.
In Germany lantern parades, a bonfire, a St. Martin’s play, and roast goose are part of the traditions.
Lantern Parade
In the evening, young and old In the evening, young and old come together to walk through town, singing songs and carrying their colorful lanterns which they made ahead of time. We hold a lantern parade at both of our school locations.
St. Martin’s Play
St. Martin is famous for the story of giving half of his coat to a beggar who was freezing in the cold. The parades usually end with the reenactment of this story, and our School also follows this tradition after the lantern parade.