Making St. Martin Lanterns

So Tuesday was Martinmas which is a festival celebrating St. Martin. The story goes (there are various versions) that St. Martin was a Roman soldier who helped a cold beggar by cutting his cloak in half and giving one half to the beggar thereby saving his life. Later that night in a dream, St. Martin had a vision of some pilgrims walking together holding lanterns and the next thing he saw there was a staircase leading up to heaven.  The pilgrims walked up the staircase and Martin followed.  When he got to the top, he found himself before Jesus Christ.  When he looked into His eyes, he saw that the beggar actually had been Christ. Christ told him to clad others as he had clad him.  When Martin awoke his cloak was restored.  St. Martin left the life of a soldier and became a Christian.  I love this story.

So on Monday for Family Home Evening we read a beautiful (more detailed) version of the story.  We spent the week singing some wonderful St. Martin songs. We loved them!

Saint Martin
Saint Martin, Saint Martin, Saint Martin rode through wind and snow
On his strong horse, his heart aglow
He rode so boldly through the storm
His large cloak kept him well and warm

By the roadside, by the roadside, by the roadside a poor man arose
Out of the snow in tattered clothes
"I beg you help me in my plight, or else I'll die of cold tonight."

Saint Martin, Saint Martin, Saint Martin stopped his horse
And drew his sword and cut his cloak in two
One half to the beggar man he gave and by this deed his life did save.

My Little Lantern
I walk with my little lantern
My lantern, myself and I
Above, the stars are shinning
Down here we're stars to the sky
The new moon shines, the cat meows
Ay, ay, ay! La boom-a-la, boom-a-la bay!
Ay, ay, ay! La boom-a-la, boom-a-la bay!

Tuesday night Craig helped the girls make these wonderful lanterns from tin cans.  Earlier we had washed them and then filled them with water and froze them.  With the solid ice inside, you can take a hammer and a nail and hammer a design into the can without squashing it.  We thought they came out pretty cute!  We made them because on Friday we were invited to a St. Martin party at our friend Claudia's house.  Part of the party was a lantern walk!