Vintage St. Martins Day Paper Sun, Moon, Festive 12 German Lanterns Laterne Lamp
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:7332305 | Style: Vintage/Retro |
| Occasion: Christmas | Material: Paper |
| Brand: Unbranded | Type: St. Martin's Day Festival Europe |
Up for your consideration is a very interesting and beautiful lot of vintage paper lanterns that through research I found are used at a festival in Europe called St. Martin's Day. My mother was German and gave them to me with no further explanation but I thought she may have used them for the carnival time in Germany.
Upon research I found this history:St. Martin’s Day, when children singsongs and parade with lanterns, and it’s time to eat a goose!November 11th is St. Martin’...s Day!It’s celebrated in parts of Belgium, Holland, Netherlands, Austria, Germany, France, Poland, Latvia and Estonia and it commemorates the day St. Martin wasburied.In the pre-Christian era, midNovember was celebrated as a festival of light and fertility. Leftovers fromthese earlier pagan rites became mixed up with legends about the life of thesaint. The combination led to the holiday’s many wonderful traditions.When St. Martin was a young man, hewas a soldier. The legend has it that one day in the winter, while onhorseback, he came upon a poor man, barely clothed. St. Martin took out hissword and cut his cloak in half. He gave one half to the poor man for warmth. Later he had a dream in which Jesuswas wearing the half cloak. Jesus said to the angels “Martin clothed me withthis robe”. When St. Martin woke up the robe was in one piece again. After thatdream he decided to become baptized. Later he quit being a soldier and became amonk. Today, the story is remembered bythe tradition of children parading after dark, carrying lanterns and singingsongs, following a person on horseback who pretends to be St. Martin. Theparade is often ended with a bonfire. (The lanterns and bonfire seem to be aremnant from the old pagan festivals of light.)It some places, the children go doorto door, caroling, with their lanterns. They’re given treats or money.St. Martin was famous for hiskindness. He was also known for his modesty and simplicity. In fact, it was hisgreat humbleness that led to another important tradition associated with theholiday: It’s said his parishioners loved him so much that they insisted hebecome bishop of Tours. But he felt unworthy of the honor, and so, when theycame to appoint him, he hid in a barn filled with geese. When his pursuersapproached, the geese began to cackle, giving away his position. He killed oneof the geese, on the spot, in revenge. Later that night it was eaten fordinner, and people all over Europe still celebrate the Saint’s day by eatinggeese. (Although some people think the real reason geese are eaten at this timeof year is that it is November when they’re ready for slaughter. Farmerscouldn’t afford to feed too many geese over the winter so they would slaughterthem at harvest time.) In Sweden St. Martin’s Day is mainlythe celebration of the goose – they’ve forgotten all the other connotations.They cook goose and make a black soup out of the remains. After St. Martin did become thebishop, he ended up converting many people in northern France and parts ofBelgium to Christianity.In some part of east Flanders, inBelgium, there’s another interesting tradition: St. Martin comes in the middleof the night of the 10th to the 11th of November (instead of St. Nicholas inDecember) and leaves children presents.St. Martin’s Day is one of thehappiest of European holidays! It’s enjoyed by everyone. (Except, maybe, thegeese…)So briefly on St. Martin’s Day in Germany, November 11th, children parade at nightcarrying lanterns. Sometimes the parade ends with a bonfire. Kids often go doorto door caroling and receiving treats or money. People also eat goose andWechmann (a sweet bread in the shape of a gingerbread man). Adults enjoy Gluehwein and it is a party!So I have 11 of these special lanterns. 3 have wax residue as pictured. The others are in very good vintage condition. Again, I am not sure about their age but since they were my mothers. She may have bought these for us as a childhood tradition I honestly don't know. So I believe they are at least 50-70 years old.They can be compactly stored and the largest is almost 18" in circumference. I can measure specific ones if interested. I just wanted to see if there was interest in these.Aluminum candle holders are securely affixed to the base of them.
Any questions I will try my best to answer.From a clean non-smoking home.Thanks!
Upon research I found this history:St. Martin’s Day, when children singsongs and parade with lanterns, and it’s time to eat a goose!November 11th is St. Martin’...s Day!It’s celebrated in parts of Belgium, Holland, Netherlands, Austria, Germany, France, Poland, Latvia and Estonia and it commemorates the day St. Martin wasburied.In the pre-Christian era, midNovember was celebrated as a festival of light and fertility. Leftovers fromthese earlier pagan rites became mixed up with legends about the life of thesaint. The combination led to the holiday’s many wonderful traditions.When St. Martin was a young man, hewas a soldier. The legend has it that one day in the winter, while onhorseback, he came upon a poor man, barely clothed. St. Martin took out hissword and cut his cloak in half. He gave one half to the poor man for warmth. Later he had a dream in which Jesuswas wearing the half cloak. Jesus said to the angels “Martin clothed me withthis robe”. When St. Martin woke up the robe was in one piece again. After thatdream he decided to become baptized. Later he quit being a soldier and became amonk. Today, the story is remembered bythe tradition of children parading after dark, carrying lanterns and singingsongs, following a person on horseback who pretends to be St. Martin. Theparade is often ended with a bonfire. (The lanterns and bonfire seem to be aremnant from the old pagan festivals of light.)It some places, the children go doorto door, caroling, with their lanterns. They’re given treats or money.St. Martin was famous for hiskindness. He was also known for his modesty and simplicity. In fact, it was hisgreat humbleness that led to another important tradition associated with theholiday: It’s said his parishioners loved him so much that they insisted hebecome bishop of Tours. But he felt unworthy of the honor, and so, when theycame to appoint him, he hid in a barn filled with geese. When his pursuersapproached, the geese began to cackle, giving away his position. He killed oneof the geese, on the spot, in revenge. Later that night it was eaten fordinner, and people all over Europe still celebrate the Saint’s day by eatinggeese. (Although some people think the real reason geese are eaten at this timeof year is that it is November when they’re ready for slaughter. Farmerscouldn’t afford to feed too many geese over the winter so they would slaughterthem at harvest time.) In Sweden St. Martin’s Day is mainlythe celebration of the goose – they’ve forgotten all the other connotations.They cook goose and make a black soup out of the remains. After St. Martin did become thebishop, he ended up converting many people in northern France and parts ofBelgium to Christianity.In some part of east Flanders, inBelgium, there’s another interesting tradition: St. Martin comes in the middleof the night of the 10th to the 11th of November (instead of St. Nicholas inDecember) and leaves children presents.St. Martin’s Day is one of thehappiest of European holidays! It’s enjoyed by everyone. (Except, maybe, thegeese…)So briefly on St. Martin’s Day in Germany, November 11th, children parade at nightcarrying lanterns. Sometimes the parade ends with a bonfire. Kids often go doorto door caroling and receiving treats or money. People also eat goose andWechmann (a sweet bread in the shape of a gingerbread man). Adults enjoy Gluehwein and it is a party!So I have 11 of these special lanterns. 3 have wax residue as pictured. The others are in very good vintage condition. Again, I am not sure about their age but since they were my mothers. She may have bought these for us as a childhood tradition I honestly don't know. So I believe they are at least 50-70 years old.They can be compactly stored and the largest is almost 18" in circumference. I can measure specific ones if interested. I just wanted to see if there was interest in these.Aluminum candle holders are securely affixed to the base of them.
Any questions I will try my best to answer.From a clean non-smoking home.Thanks!
