November is a time to Celebrate the light...a halfway point to the Winter Solstice. Germans celebrate Martinmas--a real person who was charitable and gave his coat during this approaching cold season.
Ideas for your Lantern Walk Evening:
- Have a coat drive leading up to the evening
- Tell the Little Lantern House story and make lanterns
- Sing as you do your lantern walk
- Come back to warm cider and german cookies (cinnamon stars or cresents)
- I am like a Star shining brightly
- Every star is Different
- I go outside with my lantern
- Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
- My lantern
- This little Light of Mine
- other religious songs: Teach me to walk in the Light, Light the World with Love
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Story: The Little Lantern House Story (A Lantern Walk Story--Martinmas)
There once was a boy named George. All summer long George ran barefoot through the meadows chasing butterflies and making friends with all of the animals of the land and sky. He loved to jump like a frog, sing like a bird, and whisper like the wind.
After a long day of frolicking in the fields, George saw that the sun was no longer high in the sky. The sun was setting, going down, down, down. George reached out and tried to catch the last bit of sunlight in his hands. “Brother Sun!,” George called out. “Soon the autumn winds will blow. Jack Frost will come nipping at my nose. And if you leave us, the nights will grow dark and long and cold.”
Brother Sun peaked out from behind the horizon. “Yes, it is almost time for me to say goodbye. It will be dark and cold, but do not worry. In times of cold darkness, warmth and light live deep within. You must tend to the light within.”
George was confused. “But Brother Sun, how will I find the light within? How will I find light in the darkness?”
“I will give you a spark of my last autumn’s rays,” Brother Sun called out. “But you must promise to build a house for it. It must be a strong house to guard the spark well. It will light the way for you to tend the light within during the dark and cold days ahead.”
George went home and began to think of how he could make a little house to catch one of Brother Sun’s last autumn rays.
The next day, he gathered materials- sticks and tin cans and string and wire and colored paper and glue. He set to work to make the very best house he could. With many windows, of course, for the spark to see the changes happening in the world.
When he was finished, he had made the most beautiful little lantern anyone had ever seen. He took a candle and set it in the middle of the lantern. Just as the sun was setting and it was growing dark, George took his lantern outside. “Brother Sun, I have a made a lantern. May I have a spark from your last autumn’s rays? I promise to guard it well!”
Brother Sun peeked out from beyond the horizon. “Indeed, you have created a beautiful little house. I shall give you a spark from my last autumn’s rays.”
George looked at his lantern and suddenly all of the windows were lit up and a happy spark was dancing on top of the candle. The light was spilling out of the windows and lighting up the world! “Thank you, Brother Sun, thank you!” George cheered. Then he took his lantern and carried it carefully home singing:
My little lamp needs kindling.
Its beam shines far in darkest night,
Dear Lantern, guard me with your light
