Laternelaufen ('Walking with Lanterns') is a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

tradition A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...

for the time around

St. Martin's Day Saint Martin's Day or Martinmas, sometimes historically called Old Halloween or Old Hallowmas Eve, is the feast day of Saint Martin of Tours and is celebrated in the liturgical year on 11 November. In the Middle Ages and early modern period, it ...

. On 11 November (or later/earlier for reasons of appointment)

child A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger ...

ren (usually in

kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cent ...

and

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age) walk along the

street A street is a public thoroughfare in a built environment. It is a public parcel of land adjoining buildings in an urban context, on which people may freely assemble, interact, and move about. A street can be as simple as a level patch of dirt, ...

s holding colourful, often self-made

lantern A lantern is an often portable source of lighting, typically featuring a protective enclosure for the light sourcehistorically usually a candle or a wick in oil, and often a battery-powered light in modern timesto make it easier to carry and h ...

s while singing traditional songs (''Laternenumzug'', 'Lantern Pageant'). Laternelaufen is slightly competing with

Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observanc ...

, but they are different enough to coexist.

Memorial to St. Martin

Legend has it that St. Martin, a soldier, gave a

beggar Begging (also panhandling) is the practice of imploring others to grant a favor, often a gift of money, with little or no expectation of reciprocation. A person doing such is called a beggar or panhandler. Beggars may operate in public place ...

the half of his soldier's coat to protect the man from freezing to death. Afterwards St. Martin became a

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

in order to help poor people. While this story is commonly known among German children and told in connection with this tradition, it does not explain the custom of promenading along the streets with lanterns. Several reasons why it is done this way can be found (s. Origin of the Tradition). While Laternelaufen is a memorial to St. Martin and therefore usually takes place on 11 November, in some regions of

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

(that are rather

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

) it may take place already on 10 November, because it is mixed up with the celebration of

Martin Luther Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Reformation, Protestant Refo ...

birthday A birthday is the anniversary of the birth of a person, or figuratively of an institution. Birthdays of people are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with birthday gifts, birthday cards, a birthday party, or a rite of passage. Many relig ...

(

Martinisingen ''Martinisingen'' (pronounced ''Martini-zingen''; literally "Martin singing" i.e. "St. Martin Song") is an old Protestant custom which is found especially in East Friesland, but also on the Lüneburg Heath and in other parts of Northern and Easter ...

). In some regions there is no fixed day. Depending on the needs of the particular organizers celebrations can often take place on different days in the same city. In

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

regions Laternelaufen is also called ''Sankt Martinsumzug'' ('Saint Martin's Pageant') focusing on the aspect of sharing. In Austria, the same tradition is called Laternenfest. During Laternelaufen children often sing Martinslieder / Martinilieder ('Martin songs') that glorify St. Martin's act of sharing or songs about their lanterns.

Origin

It is not quite clear why the stories concerning St. Martin led to the custom of Laternelaufen. Maybe just like

Advent wreath The Advent wreath, or Advent crown, is a Christian tradition that symbolizes the passage of the four weeks of Advent in the liturgical calendar of the Western church. It is traditionally a Lutheran practice, although it has spread to many othe ...

s Laternelaufen is a symbolic act of 'bringing light into the world'. It is also possible that one tradition got conflated with another or that the lanterns are remains of a necessary custom due to the lack of daylight in

autumn Autumn, also known as fall in American English and Canadian English, is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September ( Northern Hemisphere) or March ( Sou ...

and

winter Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Different cultures ...

. Festivals of light (a category Laternelaufen could be classified into) can be found all over the world and in many cultures / traditions (e.g.

Diwali Diwali (), Dewali, Divali, or Deepavali ( IAST: ''dīpāvalī''), also known as the Festival of Lights, related to Jain Diwali, Bandi Chhor Divas, Tihar, Swanti, Sohrai, and Bandna, is a religious celebration in Indian religions. It is ...

, Chanukka,

Saint Lucy's Day Saint Lucy's Day, also called the Feast of Saint Lucy, is a Christian feast day observed on 13 December. The observance commemorates Lucia of Syracuse, an early-fourth-century virgin martyr under the Diocletianic Persecution, who according to l ...

and

Loi Krathong Loy Krathong ( th, ลอยกระทง, , ) is a Thai festival celebrated annually throughout Thailand and in nearby countries with significant South Western Tai cultures (Laos, Shan, Mon, Tanintharyi, Kelantan, Kedah, and Xishuangbanna) ...

)

Organization

Contemporary Laternelaufen is usually organized (privately) by

parents A parent is a caregiver of the offspring in their own species. In humans, a parent is the caretaker of a child (where "child" refers to offspring, not necessarily age). A ''biological parent'' is a person whose gamete resulted in a child, a male t ...

or (publicly) by

s and schools,

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...

es or even

political parties A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or pol ...

.e.g.

SPD The Social Democratic Party of Germany (german: Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, ; SPD, ) is a centre-left social democratic political party in Germany. It is one of the major parties of contemporary Germany. Saskia Esken has been the ...

Laternenumzug der SPD Dornbreite
The ways often lead through

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s (if any available in the neighbourhood) since there the streets are not continuously lit so that the lanterns are the only sources of light. The procession is accompanied by parents, group leaders etc., for official pageants the organizers often also hire somebody to play St. Martin, who is displayed as a

beard A beard is the hair that grows on the jaw, chin, upper lip, lower lip, cheeks, and neck of humans and some non-human animals. In humans, usually pubescent or adult males are able to grow beards. Throughout the course of history, societal at ...

ed man in a

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soldier's

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wearing a long red

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cloak A cloak is a type of loose garment worn over clothing, mostly but not always as outerwear for outdoor wear, serving the same purpose as an overcoat, protecting the wearer from the weather. It may form part of a uniform. Cloaks have been and a ...

, often riding on a horse in front of the children.

Comparison to Halloween

Laternelaufen and

cannot be compared although their celebration dates are around the same days (31 October and 11 November). Their origin is different and Laternelaufen does not contain any kind of masquerades, trick-or-treating or similar aspects that are commonly associated with Halloween.

External links

* Popular

song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetitio ...

s sung by children while walking with lanterns *
Laterne, Laterne
('Lantern, Lantern') *

('I'm Walking with My Lantern') *

('Through the Streets')

References

germany.info
website of the German Embassy in the USA, on Laternelaufen
The Celebration of St. Martin
{{reflist German traditions Autumn traditions Autumn events in Germany