St. Martins

Better late then never is what "they" say.  Since my kids are now in the German schools they get to participate in the traditions and the culture that goes along with that.  In November when the leaves are turning colors and the harvesting is over there is a tradition known as the Feast of St. Martin, Martinstag a time for feasting.  It is in celebration of a Roman soldier who tore his cloak in half to give to a beggar in a snow storm, it is said that this Roman soldier had a dream that Jesus was wearing this cloak.    So this is just a glimpse into the traditional holiday St. Martins.  My kids were able to participate in this holiday, by making lanterns in their school/kindergarten and even Sydney made one in her preschool class.  I really don't know what the lanterns have to do with it but they take these lanterns and walk around out side with them in the dark all the while singing songs, and after the walk is over they gather for music and food.  The kids learned a song to sing in the little program that was put on by the Kindergarten and Olivia's school.  This song has stuck in my head and the kids.  Here are just a few shots of the kids with their friends and this little German holiday that I am really happy our kids got to participate in.

It was crazy how much it rained.  We went out for 2 nights, one for the Kindergarten and the other for Olivia's school, and both nights it poured.  Poor little lanterns were not able to survive.  Olivia is the dragon Sydney is in the middle with leaves that we used crayons on, and Grant's is the apple.  

Olivia and her little friend Hillary from the Kindergarten.  The kids were so cold and wet, but Olivia just loved being with her friends, she wasn't going to let that minor detail get her down.