A German November Tradition

Happy Halloween everybody!

I hope you are enjoying this wonderful time of the year and eat as many pumpkin-filled meals as we do at the moment. Halloween in Germany is celebrated like it is in England, so actually there is not much to tell about! Children dress up, go from door to door and shout the German version of ‘Trick or Treat’, which is “Süßes, sonst gibt’s Saures!”. This can roughly be translated as “Give me sweets (Süßes), otherwise we will give you something sour (Saures)”. Of course, Halloween parties are a big tradition as well, pumpkin carving and so on!

Since Halloween is not very different, I want to tell you about another German tradition, that takes place some weeks after the 31st, the so-called ‘Martinstag’. This day is celebrated on the 11th of November and offers little kids another opportunity to stay up late and to walk through town with (handmade) lanterns. When I was a child, I used to love this evening, because my mother would make an awesome lantern with all the other kindergarten mummies. The lanterns can come in all shapes and colours as long as they are safe to handle and do not burst into flames while walking around with them. After nightfall, groups of children and their parents gather, the candles are lit (or the electric lights are turned on…) and traditional Martinslieder are sung. While some songs tell the legend of the tradition’s namesake, Saint Martin, others are about the stars and the moon, or the lanterns.

So, who was this Martin guy?

According to the legend, Martin was a Roman soldier in 316 AD. He rode on his horse in a cold winter night and met a poor beggar, who was freezing in the snow. Instead of riding past the beggar, Martin pitied the poor man. Hence, he took off his warm red cape, cut it in half and gave one half to the beggar. It is said, that after this event, Martin dreamed of the man, who revealed himself as Jesus Christ. After this vision, the soldier became a Christian and a popular man amongst the citizens of Tours (France). In fact, the people were so fond of Martin, that they wanted him to become their new bishop – a position that Martin did not think himself worthy of. When the citizens were looking for him, he hid in a geese coop. Unfortunately, it was the shouting of the animals that uncovered his hiding place and the former soldier was finally ordained Bishop of Tours. After his death, Martin was made a saint.
Due to the latter part of the legend, some people prepare a Martinsgans, a roast goose, for this special day.

In some places the lantern processions, so called Martinsumzüge, end with a bonfire and children are given little goose-shaped yeast buns or biscuits.

In case you are in Germany on this particular day and want to join in with the singing, make sure you learn the right songs in advance. Here are some youtube links for the most important Martinslieder:

Sankt Martin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrFwtGQyjfM
Ich geh mit meiner Laterne:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oixRjkUsV1g
Laterne, Laterne:        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cV1o_JlgWY

As you will find out, the songs are fairly repetitive and easy to learn!

If you liked this blog post, feel free to follow me and to leave a comment :)




Kommentare

Kommentar veröffentlichen

Beliebte Posts aus diesem Blog

Who, What, Why?

Bild
Hi, my name is Franzi, I was born and raised in South Germany, close to the Black Forest. I studied English and Protestant Theology in the beautiful city of Tübingen, and due to my Erasmus semester in Durham, I found an English boyfriend. During the years of our distant relationship I learned a lot about the UK, its dishes, its various dialects, its customs and people – or at least, I thought I did. Yet, having actually lived in the UK (to be more precise: Liverpool) for over a year, I realise that I only ever caught glimpses of British culture. Living in the country, working here, listening to the radio, going to the doctor, etc - these are experiences that really allowed me a much wider and deeper understanding of English culture. Even more surprisingly, I now sense my German heritage more than ever, and see my own country and its customs from a new perspective. I never thought about myself as being very German, let alone was I particularly proud of being a German – our his...
Mehr anzeigen

Adventszeit in England

Bild
Hallöchen! Auf Grund unseres anstehenden Umzugs von England nach Deutschland, haben wir unsere Wohnung in Liverpool nun schweren Herzens verlassen und sind für ein paar Tage bei Toms Eltern in Sheffield untergeschlüpft. Und ich kann euch sagen – hier weihnachtet es schon sehr! Wie auch in meinem deutschen Zuhause ist die Weihnachtsdekoration schon seit ein paar Wochen liebevoll platziert worden – Glöckchen und Lichter, Tannenzweige und goldene Tannenzapfen, kleine Weihnachtsmänner und selbstverständlich auch weihnachtliches Klopapier. Ist doch eigentlich wie in Deutschland, oder? Nicht ganz, meine Lieben! Die Engländer haben nämlich auch so einige Weihnachtstraditionen, die wir in Deutschland so nicht verfolgen; oder zumindest nicht so exzessiv. Obwohl so ein Umzug immer ein bisschen anstrengend ist, bin ich sehr glücklich in der Übergangszeit in diesem britischen Haus gestrandet zu sein, um so der britischen Weihnachtskultur so richtig auf die Pelle rücken zu können. Was ...
Mehr anzeigen