St. Martin is widely celebrated around November 11 in Germany, in memory of Martin of Tours.
Born in 316 into a family of officers from a Roman province in Hungary, Saint-Martin, still in his teens, enlisted in a cavalry regiment under Emperor Constantine.
Posted near Amiens, it was during this military service, on a winter’s evening in 334, that an event changed his life: he met a beggar at the city gates and cut his coat in half to share it with the beggar, who was freezing.
Our children, young and old, proved their ingenuity by making lanterns which were then proudly displayed for all parents to see.
Parents and children alike had plenty to marvel at: what a variety of lanterns!
There were paper and cardboard lanterns, decorated and embellished with drawings, paintings, cut-outs and bangs of all kinds; there were lanterns depicting animals, monsters, vegetables, fairytale characters or more abstract forms.
At the end of the visit, each child collected his or her lantern and went out into the courtyard, where a bonfire was lit.
Young and old were able to sing traditional songs and admire the majestic parade of St. Martin on his horse, while enjoying the traditional “Weckmann” brioche accompanied by hot chocolate for the youngest or a traditional mulled wine for parents.
It was a wonderful opportunity to share, discover and enjoy a well-established German tradition that is always eagerly awaited by our educational community.
