Every year on Oct. 31, most Americans celebrate Halloween, and later in November Thanksgiving. Those traditions are deeply rooted in American culture. But what do people in Germany celebrate in Autumn?
Saint Martin’s Day, also called Martinmas, takes place every year, and not just in Germany. But what is Saint Martin’s Day, who was Saint Martin, and how do people celebrate it?
What is Saint Martin’s Day and what do people celebrate?
Saint Martin’s Day is a Christian feast day to commemorate the death of Saint Martin of Tours. In the Middle Age, it marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter, similar to Thanksgiving in the US. It was in the 19th century that it acquired its connection to the figure of Saint Martin and the legends surrounding him.
When and where is it celebrated?
It is usually celebrated on the evening of Nov. 11 every year, particularly in German-speaking countries, especially in kindergarten and elementary school. Other countries also celebrate Martinmas, even though it is not that widespread. For example, it also takes place in Poland, Croatia, Ireland, and Portugal. Since it is a catholic feast, it is normally celebrated in Catholic shaped regions. In protestant influenced regions, the feast day is connected with Martin Luther, since his baptism day was on Nov. 11.
Who was Saint Martin?
Saint Martin was born around 316 A.D., in the region that is now Western Hungary to pagan parents. As his father was a soldier in the Roman Army, he was required to become a soldier himself. Legend says that while he was stationed in Gaul – now France – he met a shivering, freezing beggar. Martin, who had nothing except his soldier clothes, cut his long cavalry cloak with his sword in two parts, to give one to the beggar. He later had a vision of Jesus who claimed that he was the beggar and immediately became baptized. When he dropped out of the army because of his pacifism, he was known for his preaching and kindness. At a time where bishops were still chosen by the people, he was sought after by the people of the town of Tours to become their new bishop. When he died in 397 A.D., his entombment took place on
Nov. 11, which is why Martinmas takes place on this date. He is the patron saint of beggars, drunkards, and the poor.
How do people celebrate it?
In most German towns, there are nighttime processions of children carrying paper lanterns who are singing songs of Saint Martin. These processions are known as “Laternelaufen.” Sometimes, they are led by a horseman representing Saint Martin. The lanterns are built by the children in school or kindergarten, using balloons, paper straps, and glue paste. In the Rhineland, the end of the processions is marked by lighting bonfires where everyone gathers around to eat sweet pastries and drink mulled wine. These pastries are called “Weckmänner”. Before everybody gets home, the kids gather in smaller groups and go around from house to house where they sing to get sweets, similar to Halloween.
If you are interested now and want to experience it yourself, the best way is by looking up some German American communities. For example in St. Paul, Minnesota, where they celebrate with a traditional lantern procession, or Dayton, Ohio, where they have an evening lantern parade followed by a bonfire.
