Saturday, November 12, 2011

Martinmas 2011

Yesterday was our Martinmas celebration with the Kindergarten. When we went to parent and child group on Monday afternoon we made lovely little paper lanters. Last evening after dinner we wrapped up warm and headed out on a stormy night to the lantern parade. I don't have a picture of the actual parade as it was dark (obviously) and I don't like using a flash. This is a picture of the Martinmas parade in one of our favourite books 'In the Town All Year Round' and it was a bit like that.


It was very blustery and our candles kept blowing out which annoyed Benny a little, but we managed to keep lighting them again and walked around the gardens of a local nursing home, where the parade was held,singing the little lantern song.


Karen, the Kindergarten leader, read us the story of St Martin, which is a lovely story about sharing. Then to remember St Martin and his kindness we shared cake together in the dark by the light of little glittering lanterns.

It was very special, and one of those moments that I am so glad that I can give to the children. I remember the Martinmas parades through the village of my childhood in Germany. The excitement and joy over nothing more than walking through the dark with a lantern and holding my mother's hand :-)



Did you celebrate Martinmas?

hugs x

3 comments:

  1. Hey Laura,
    we celebrated it almost exactly the way you did, my mom came over from Irsee to join us, and I, too, had to remember the Baisweil kindergarten parade! I could not remember that we went there together, though?! Maybe we were already in Irsee, then. It's really a magic memory. But we gave Navin an electric stick, that's a big change to my own childhood. It looked very lovely too, though, and didn't keep going out or burn the lantern ;-)

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  2. Oh Anna, those Baisweil parades, infact there are so many special moment of my childhood in germany that I just treasure. So lovely that your mum was with you for martinmas this year i bet Navin loved it. love and hugs x x
    thanks mel x x

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