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St. Martin's Day
On or around November 11, children in much of Germany walk through the streets after dark carrying lanterns, often ones they made themselves in kindergarten or school, and sing songs such as «Laterne, Laterne» and «Ich geh mit meiner Laterne». In many places a rider dressed as a Roman soldier leads the procession, and at the end a bonfire is lit and the scene of Martin sharing his cloak is acted out. Martin of Tours lived in the fourth century; according to legend, he was a soldier who cut his cloak in half for a freezing beggar and later became a monk and bishop. November 11 is the date of his burial. The custom is strongest in the Rhineland and in Catholic regions, where children may also go from door to door singing for sweets, and a sweet bread figure is shared; across the country, many families eat roast goose, the Martinsgans, around this time. In recent years, some daycare centers and schools have renamed the event a lantern or light festival to include children of all backgrounds, which regularly sparks debate. For most families, though, the focus is on the lanterns, the songs and the idea of sharing.