St. Martins Day

My wonderful neighbor tipped me off that today is St. Martins Day or Martini day as she called. So naturally, I got out my jigger and was shaking and not stirring but alas that is not the custom.

No, St. Martins day is like Halloween and St. Lucias day combined. Little children wander around their neighborhoods with lanterns sings songs and reciting poems in exchange for sweets, preferably chocolates. We have acquired a respectable amount of goodies and are now waiting to see if this is enough.

st martins day

St. Martins update: We have had 3 groups of “performers”. The little angel from across the street with her best friend (age 6) both carried lanterns and sang, mom played and important roll as a back up singer. Two girls around 8 years with funny hats and lanterns, singing a different song. And right before 8 pm there was a knock at the door and 2 boys in their early teens wearing what I would call Halloween masks and carrying the same cute lanterns were singing another song that I suspect was some kind of hip hop song.

Everyone got chocolate but as a curse of my upbringing I over-shopped and we have way too much left. The basket is on it way to work with hubby tomorrow!

Heres the lyrics for the song the little girls sang.

Ich geh mit meiner Laterne	I Go with My Lantern

Ich geh’ mit meiner Laterne	I go with my lantern
Und meine Laterne mit mir.	And my lantern goes with me.
Dort oben leuchten die Sterne,	Up above the stars are shining,
Hier unten, da leuchten wir.	Down here we’re shining.
Der Hahn, der kräht, die Katz miaut.	The rooster, he crows; the cat meows.
Rabimmel, rabammel, rabum.	Rabimmel, rabammel, rabum.
Der Hahn, der kräht, die Katz miaut.	The rooster, he crows; the cat meows.
Rabimmel, rabammel, rabum.	Rabimmel, rabammel, rabum.