Laternelaufen


Laternelaufen is a German tradition held on or around St. Martin's Day on 11 November. Children walk along the streets in the early evening or after nightfall, holding colourful, often self-made lanterns while singing traditional songs.

Memorial to St. Martin

Legend has it that the fourth-century St. Martin, while a Roman cavalry soldier, cut his cloak in two and gave a beggar clothed in rags half of it to protect the man from freezing to death. Afterwards St. Martin became the bishop of Tours and continued 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.
While Laternelaufen is a memorial to St. Martin of Tours and therefore usually takes place on 11 November, his feast day, in some regions of Germany that are more Protestant it may occur on 10 November because it is influenced by the celebration of Martin Luther's birthday. In some areas there is no fixed day. Depending on the needs of the particular organizers, celebrations can often happen on different days in the same city. In Catholic regions Laternelaufen is also called Sankt Martinsumzug focusing on the aspect of sharing. In Austria, the same tradition is called Laternenfest.
During Laternelaufen children often sing Martinslieder or Martinilieder that glorify St. Martin's act of sharing or songs about their lanterns.

Origin

It is not obvious why the stories concerning St. Martin led to the custom of Laternelaufen. Like the tradition of the Advent wreath, Laternelaufen may symbolise the act of 'bringing light into the world'. It is also possible that one tradition got conflated with another, or that the lanterns are remnants of a custom arising from the lessening of daylight in autumn and winter. Festivals of light are celebrated in many cultures and traditions around the world.

Organization

A contemporary Laternelaufen is usually organized by parents, kindergartens and schools, parishes, or even political parties. The way often leads through forests, because there the presence of streetlights is reduced so that the lanterns are the only source of light. The procession is accompanied by parents, group leaders, and other adults. For official pageants, the organizers often hire somebody to play St. Martin, costumed as a Roman soldier in uniform wearing a long red cape or cloak, often riding on a horse in front of the children on foot.

Comparison to Halloween

Laternelaufen and Halloween cannot be compared although their celebration dates are close to each other. Their origin is different; Halloween is a Celtic tradition dating to pre-Christian times emphasizing the thin wall separating earthly life and the otherworld. Laternelaufen does not contain masquerades, trick-or-treating, scary activities, or most other features commonly associated with Halloween.