St. Martins Tag

So this is actually not going to be a Germany vs. America blog post. But the next one will be, I promise. I just wanted to tell y'all about my experience on Tuesday November 12, or St. Martins Day. It's a holiday here in Germany for little kids in honor of St. Martin. It started out with all the little kids and their parents (and me) meeting in the teeny tiny church for a program put on by the kindergartners and their teachers. It was full to the brim and extremely hot. The kindergartners sang songs and the teachers acted out a skit all about good 'ol Martin.
So the story goes that there was a really poor man outside in the snow and he was about to freeze to death, and then St. Martin rides up on his horse with some other soldiers and sees the poor man. He then proceeds to take out his sword, cut his jacket in half, and give part of it to the poor man. Later that night he has a dream that the poor man he gave the jacket too was actually Jesus and he goes on to live his life for God. All of the teachers were women so the skit was pretty funny.
After the skit all the kids get their lanterns and go on a march through the town, which is led by St. Martin himself and his trusty steed. The march ended at the kindergarten, where there was a big fire and refreshments. There was coffee, tea, and some hot alcoholic drink to drink and then for food there was fettes brot (which I'm pretty sure is literally just fat smeared on bread), pickles, and these little gingerbread shaped bread men.

It was just really cool to experience and I know as a kid I would of loved getting to make a lantern in school and then march through town showing it off.

UPDATE: St. Martin and Martin Luther are NOT the same person, and your religion teacher will laugh at you if you write about them on your religion test as though they are. Sorry for any confusion.