Martinmas Lantern Walk

A few days ago my "live-in gardener" and I were invited to

our grandson's pre-school to celebrate Martinmas.

I had never heard of it and was fascinated to learn more.

Below is the description I found online.

It was so special to walk with the children and their families

in the neighborhood where their school is located.

They had special songs to sing along the way,

then after the walk the teacher had a puppet show for them.

They, along with some parents, wore the gnome hats and beards

and carried paper lanterns.

Oh what we learn through our grandchildren.

It was special indeed.

"Martinmas marks the burial of St Martin of Tours (316-397 AD).    St. Martin may be well-known for his compassionate gesture of sharing his cloak with a beggar.  This charitable gesture is at the heart of this festival for many Waldorf schools, who hold coat drives and other charitable drives around this festival.
This festival is the middle point between Michaelmas and Christmas; the light of Martinmas fortifies our souls for the dark winter and prepares us for the birth of Christ.  One symbol of this is working with light from lanterns in the traditional Lantern Walk."  from The Parenting Passageway