Happy St. Martin’s Day!
Today is a HUGE day at our house.
If you’ve been with me at Making This Home for a while, you know that I have a tendency to forget about this holiday EVERY YEAR (see here and here!). The good news is that true to male form, Martin usually forgets as well.
But not this year!
Today is kind of like the German child’s Halloween. Kids parade around town with paper lanterns and sing a little song about St. Martin. This Saint is known for giving up his cloak to a beggar one chilly, chilly night, only to later discover that poor man was really Jesus. It’s a day about gratitude, eating sweets, and embracing the coming Advent season.
I love seeing this picture every year.
It’s also Martin’s namesake day.
In many European cultures, your namesake day is more important than your birthday.
So this year, we’re celebrating!
Here’s a picture that illustrates St. Martin’s Day perfectly. On the surface, it almost feels like Halloween, doesn’t it?
If you have German, Czech, or Austrian heritage, read one of these old posts from Making This Home (here and here) to incorporate a little cultural celebration into your day.
Happy St. Martin’s Day to all of you and to my own Martin!
November 11th, 2010 at 1:09 pm
sankt martin, sahankt maaaaaaaatin….. i still remember singin that as a child. this year for the first time in years im in germany for it . its so beautiful. enjoy your day ;)
November 11th, 2010 at 2:54 pm
Happy St. Martin’s Day! The German celebration sounds like a lot of fun! Paper lanterns and children singing?? So sweet.
I’ve always called it Martinmas (I live in the US) but as a Presbyterian, it’s not something we’ve ever celebrated. Until this year. My husband and I are traveling over Thanksgiving, so I’ve made a roasted chicken for dinner (in lieu of a Tgiving turkey or a Martinmas goose) and I’m doing all our favorite ‘Thanksgiving’ trimmings. I’m hoping it’ll be as much fun in real life as it’s been in my imagination!