Martinmas Lantern Walk

Akwaaba! Recently, the children’s school had a Saturday evening event called The Lantern Walk. It is relatively new to us, although I think we participated in one in Victoria, B.C. some time ago. The children had been learning songs, bringing home notes, and making lanterns for a couple of weeks leading up to the walk. So, as you can imagine, anticipation was running pretty high in the Land house, especially since there was talk of something called a “toffee shower.” It turns out that the history and practice of the event are not altogether unlike Halloween.

Traditionally, the festival would take place on November 11th in a number of European countries (the director of Tall Oaks is part German and the school is very international) to honour Martin of Tours. Apparently Martin, a Roman soldier who later became a monk, famously tore his cloak in two and gave half to a beggar. In some places, children make lanterns and light candles and walk around their communities to receive gifts and candy, hence the “toffee showers” that our children received. The walk was also meant to represent an opportunity to come together in unity and put our differences aside.

On a more selfish note, it was an excellent opportunity for Carmilla and me to firm-up a couple more “grown-up” connections with a couple of parents we had met, and to meet some new people. I suspect this is also one of Tall Oaks’ ulterior, generously-placed motives. There were a few words, a few songs, and a short play prior to our departure. Following what was likely intended to be St. Martin on horseback (I wasn't sure), the walk lasted about an hour and we sang rounds of a half-a-dozen songs while the children carried their lanterns (and some of the parents carried some of the children!). The songs included a couple of lantern-specific ditties and a few old favourites such as the hokey-pokey “Ghanaian style” which was about as much (sober) fun as you can have walking down a public street without getting arrested!

This entry’s parting shot has to go to Cuyler. The look on his face as we lit his lantern with real fire says it all. The Lantern Walk was a wonderful event to be a part of and we will not soon forget the sing-song walk, the toffee shower, or the warm glow of the lanterns, under African night skies. Oh, and in anticipation of your next questions as you consider the following picture: Yes, Cuyler still has all of his skin and his hair, and, No, no children were seriously burned in the walking of these lanterns!