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St. Martin's Festival

17 Nov 2008 - Sabina Griffith

On Monday, 10 November, the International School of Manosque celebrated the Lantern Festival ("Laternenfest"), an old German tradition. In Germany, at nightfall on the 11th November, children walk in procession following a knight on a white horse who represents St. Martin. The children carry multicoloured lanterns and sing "Martinslieder."

Legend has it that in 4 A.D. young Martin, a soldier in Gaul, rode one winter's day to the town of Amiens. On his way he met a beggar dressed in rags and freezing. He took his sword and cut his cloak in two in order to give one half to the beggar.

The children had made lanterns in class and walked with their families and the teachers in the streets of old Manosque. They started at the Place Marcel Pagnol and ended at the Place St. Sauveur where they sang German songs. Some of the children from the German department acted out this legendary story (see picture) and then all shared "Weckmänner" and "Plätzchen," some specialty German pastries. There was even Glühwein, hot spicy wine, for the adults.

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