The Lantern Walk is a cherished tradition in Waldorf education, taking place at a time when Autumn is starting to wane and dark winter days are ahead. 🍂
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When we celebrate Martinmas, we celebrate that there will still be light, warmth, and sharing in the coming cold dark months that lie ahead. The essence of the Lantern Walk or Martinmas festival is to acknowledge the light that shines in each of us. This light needs to be protected, just as the lights inside our lanterns do, so they don’t blow out. This time of year is also said to be a time when the veil between the human and the spirit worlds is at its thinnest, so we can remember that help from the universe is always there for us. It is also a time of year when we recognize that the cold and darker days of winter are coming, and we can join together in compassion to help each other stay warm and shine bright.
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‘Each of us is one small light, but together we shine bright’!
-Ona Wetherall O’Hara
Glimmer lantern glimmer,
little stars a-shimmer.
Over meadow, moor and dale
flitter flutter elfin veil.
Pee-wit pee-wit, tick-a-tack-a-tick, coo-coo-roo-coo.
Glimmer lantern glimmer,
little stars a-shimmer.
Over rock and stock and stone
wander tripping little gnome.
Pee-wit, pee-wit, tick-a-tack-a-tick, coo-coo-roo-coo.
A Brief History of the Lantern Walk, Martinmas, a Festival of Compassion
The festival of Martinmas originated in France in the fourth century in honor of St. Martin who was ‘known as a friend of the children and a patron of the poor’. Legend has it that Saint Martin shared his cloak with a beggar by cutting it in half, so the beggar would be protected from the cold night. In honor of Saint Martin’s kind deed, Martinmas is celebrated as a festival and spread from France through Germany, the rest of Europe, and Scandinavia. Somewhat like American Thanksgiving, it is a feast of sharing and gratefulness! Martinmas takes place at a time when Autumn is starting to wane and dark winter days are ahead.
