Celebrating Laternenfest in the Spirit of St. Martin

Dear GISC Community,
The real St. Martin's Day is November 11, but we at GISC will celebrate the day tomorrow on November 9, a date that Germans call a "Day of Fate." On this date, the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 (35 years ago), in 1938 the horrors of Kristallnacht took place in Germany, signifying November 9 as a Day of Remembrance for the victims of Nazism. Other German November 9 historical dates include the Munich Putsch in 1923 and the Proclamation of the Republic in 1918.

 

History abounds on November 9, prompting Germans to refer to the day as a Day of Fate (Schicksalstag). While we will focus on celebrating St. Martin's Day, I would be remiss not to acknowledge the historical connections to November 9.

 

It is especially in the context of these historical events that St. Martin's Day stands out as a Day of Hope. As a child, I was introduced to words such as "Barmherzigkeit" (translated as "mercy" or "compassion") and "Nächstenliebe" (translated as "charity," or "altruism"). To be honest, as a child, these concepts were hard to grasp, but – as far as I am concerned – there was no harm my Mama inflicted upon me to reflect and consider these character traits. These traits are also universal, transcending religions. Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam refer to the notion of a merciful God.

 

Martin was a Roman soldier, born around the year 316 AD. According to legend, he was riding past a starving and freezing beggar on a cold winter's day. Martin felt so sorry for the man that he used his sword to cut his warm cloak in half and gave one half to the beggar. That night, the beggar appeared to Martin in a dream and revealed himself as Jesus Christ.

After this experience, Martin was baptized and instructed in the Christian faith. Later, the people of the town of Tours (in modern-day France) asked him to become their bishop. However, the humble Martin did not consider himself worthy of the position and hid — according to one account — in a goose stable. The honking birds gave him away, and he was consecrated as bishop anyway.

Barmherzigkeit or Nächstenliebe are values (if not ideals) that signify deep care for a fellow human being – and it is at this St. Martin's Day celebration that we come together to celebrate with each other, showing our collective care for members of the GISC community, but also within our families.

See you on Saturday, listen to our students sing the traditional songs; join us on walking through the neighborhood with our lanterns; and celebrate with each other. I look forward to catching up with you.

Sincerely,

Ben Hebebrand
GISC Director