Now that Germany is steadily adopting Halloween–complete with Süßes oder Saures (trick or treat)–I propose we borrow one of theirs: Martinstag. It’s like a trade, except no one has to give up anything and we all get twice as many Süßigkeiten (candy)!
Das Fest: How is Martinstag celebrated?
In the days leading up to the Fest, children make Laternen in school. They learn Martinslieder and get ready to walk in the town’s parade. The excitement is palpable. If you are an exchange student with host sisters aged 4 and 6, they will etch Sonne, Mond und Sterne forever into your brain.
Der 11. November can’t come fast enough. Festivities formally kick off at 11:11 on 11.11. Pretty easy date to remember, huh? The real Fest, however, begins as the sun sets.
That is when Sankt Martin rides by on his Pferd. The Kinder holding their Laternen fall in behind, lifting their voices in song and illuminating the streets with their flickering lanterns. In the village I lived in, the Kinder still went out with real candles illuminating their Laternen. I was amazed by the beauty of the lights as well as the fact the whole parade did not go up in flames.
Then comes the best part. The Kinder go door to door, sing for their friends and Nachbarn and fill their baskets with Süßigkeiten. And I’m not sure whether it is because everyone knew everyone in my little Dorf, but they gave out full-sized Schoko-Riegel, not these not-actually-very-fun-sized bites we hand out at Halloween.
Das Fest closes out with a giant bonfire because, well, why not? Do you really need a reason for a Lagerfeuer in the city square?
Sankt Martin: Who is that?
But who was this Sankt Martin? And why do Germans (and many other Europäer) still celebrate him? And why with Süßgkeiten? Read on in the interactive exercises below to learn a little about Sankt Martin while practicing your German. The video at the end of the presentation actually repeats halfway through with English subtitles.
Frohes Fest! (And who do we talk to about launching holidays?) If you enjoy these activities, click here for more interactive exercises to practice German, and subscribe for more!
Note: Click the arrows in the bottom right to full screen the presentation. It will work better on a laptop, especially when you get to the questions on the video. Click the small errors on the bottom center to advance the slides.