St. Martin’s day in Netherlands

Sweets

Lampion

St. Martin's Day, also known as the Feast of St. Martin, Martinstag or Martinmas, the Feast of St Martin of Tours or Martin le Misércordieux, is a time for feasting celebrations. This is the time when autumn wheat seeding is completed. Historically, hiring fairs were held where farm laborers would seek new posts.

The feast day is November 11, the feast day of St. Martin of Tours, who started out as a Roman soldier. He was baptized as an adult and became a monk. It is understood that he was a kind man who led a quiet and simple life. The most famous legend of his life is that he once cut his cloak in half to share with a beggar during a snowstorm, to save the beggar from dying of the cold. That night he dreamed that Jesus was wearing the half-cloak Martin had given away. Martin heard Jesus say to the angels: "Here is Martin, the Roman soldier who is not baptised; he has clothed me. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Martin's_Day

In the Netherlands, the day is celebrated on the evening of November 11. Children go through the streets with paper lanterns (Lampion) and candles, and sing songs about Saint Martin. Children walk in small groups to call at houses and sing songs in return for candy.

In recent years, the lantern processions have become widespread even in Protestant areas of the Netherlands, despite the fact that most Protestant churches do not recognize saints.

This year the task of buying sweets fell on me. I was also requested to get a lampion for our son Moses. I had seen in some of the advertisements were to find them, but I had no idea what they looked like. Anyhow, I went to a store got the sweets and chocolates and embarked on the task of looking for the lampions.

After a couple of minutes, I decided to ask a store assistant for help. She directed me to pick one by the cashier’s counter. I stood nearby and looked around, but had no idea what to look for. Soon afterwards, some ladies excitedly picked some stick like objects with a small bulb hanging by a string, I guessed it was the lampions, I ordered for two and a paper cover, and went home a happy man.

Moses was happy to have a lampion and he harvested a bagful of candy and chocolate to last him a few weeks, yet I had also bought more than enough sweets for the evening. The house is now full of sweets, chocolates and of course the wrappings carelessly thrown everywhere!

Dutch kids move in small groups and sing at doorways in exchange for sweets