Martinstag

Last night I went up to Zapfendorf, a small town about 15 minutes north of Bamberg, to go to a traditional "goose eating" with some of the people I am teaching with. It was in a local brewery that goes by the name of Wagner. There was soooo much food. First they put a liter of cold beer in front of you, then they brought out plate with a half a goose on them. There was hardly any room for anything besides the goose, so everything else was served family style. There was a thin gravy, bavarian potato dumplings, and a type of pureed & creamy green vegetable. It was all real tasty and a great night out with the Germans.

Why goose? It was in celebration of St. Martin's Day, which is on Nov. 11 and marks the start of the Carneval season. Children get dressed up like St. Martin and walk around after dark, carring lanterns, and singing special lantern songs. It's kind of like Halloween, because they sing to get treats and sweets from the nearby houses. And who is St. Martin, you might ask? St Martin of Tours started out as a Roman soldier and was baptized as an adult, before becoming a monk. The most famous legend about his life is when he cut his cloak in half to share with a beggar during a snowstorm, to save the beggar from dying of the cold. In a dream that night, God appeared to him and said that he had been the beggar. [He could only give 1/2 because the other 1/2 belonged to the Roman Government] Another legend is about his trying to avoid becoming the Bishop of Tours. When people came to collect him for his appointment as bishop, he hid in a stall in a barn, hoping to escape from the people who were looking for him. A flock of geese made a lot of noise and gave away his hiding place. The goose is the animal symbol of St. Martin and thus a favorite food on Saint Martin's Day.

Lantern Song!

Ich geh' mit meiner Laterne // I'm coming with my lantern
Und meine Laterne mit mir. // And my lantern with me.
Dort oben leuchten die Sterne, // There over the light are stars,
Hier unten, da leuchten wir. // Here under the light are we.