Sankt Martins Umzug

We experienced our first Sankt Martins Tag (St. Martin's Day) earlier this week (OK, maybe not the first, but the first on-site).  The kids made lanterns at their Kindergarten, and we entered the parade with all of the other kids and their lanterns.  We sang lantern songs, and a band was at the end of the parade.  The parade was led by St. Martin on a horse.  Timmy totally loved it: he knew all the words to all of the songs from kindergarten, and he was on cloud 9.  

Aaron was a bit chilly and tired, so he rode on my shoulders the whole way (which we are both getting too old for).

Then we went to a big field and they had a bonfire.  They told the story of St. Martin, who was a soldier who tore his cloak in half and gave the half to a freezing beggar.  I was kind of unsatisfied with the story: the beggar was groaning about how he was on the verge of death, and all he got was half of a cape?  Pretty weak sauce if you ask me.  He could have at least given him some soup or something.  Maybe a hot chocolate?  This dude pales in comparison to the good Samaritan, but I guess if my kids share a little better because of the story, I can join in with the praises of Mister Martin.

After that we bought some traditional Wachmenschen, these little baked bread guys.  I'm not sure what the bread guys are all about, nor am I even sure of the their name, but we ate them like ravenous cannibals.  Head first of course.