Martinmas

This was our first year celebrating Martinmas and I can tell already, it will always hold a special place in my heart.

Martinmas is centered around the idea of light; the light inside each one of us and the light that we share with others. This day is a celebration of St. Martin who shared his cloak with a beggar and gives us inspiration to hold onto our light going into the dark winter nights.

At school, each child was invited to decorate their own lantern to be used during the lantern walk later in the day. As the children glued each piece of autumn-colored tissue paper to the lantern, you could see the calmness and joyfulness in each of their faces.

Because our group is for children under 4 year old, we do our lantern walk in school instead of outside at night in the woods. They turn off every light and we travel as a group carrying our lighted lanterns singing wonderful songs. We toured classrooms with our lanterns and the other children joined in. Teachers, administrators, everyone stopped and their faces lit up and came to give this special time the reverence it deserved.

"I go out with my lantern,

my lantern goes with me,

Above the stars are shining

on Earth shining are we.

The light grows dim,

we must go in.

La bimba, la bamba,

la boom.

The light grows dim,

we must go in.

La bimba, la bamba,

la boom."

I had chills running up and down and tears welling up in my eyes. It has forever ingrained a memory in my mind that I will cherish.

It was magical, beyond words.