Hi Everybody!
Hope your week got off to a good start.
On Tuesdays Elizabeth celebrates her T stands for Tuesday Party, so here a warm welcome to all of the lovely ladies of the T gang.
Last week the feast of St Martin was celebrated here in Rhineland; every town, village, and borough has its own procession. Saint Martin rides in on a horse, accompanied by kids with coloured lanterns. 'Martin' sees a freezing beggar, swipes his cloak into 2 pieces with his sword and gives half to the beggar. This is celebrated with a procession, collecting money for people who have less, and eating 'Weckmänner', which do taste rather good:
This is a painting from El Greco:
And a painting from Düsseldorf made in 1905:
It's also tradition to eat a Martin's goose with red cabbage and dumplings:
Traditional lanterns:
Kids often go from door to door, sing a song about St Martin and get rewarded with goodies:
(Images 2,3,4,5, and 6 courtesy of Wikipedia)
My drink was, as always, cappuccino, shown here in my fave mug:
Last Sunday I went again for an early morning walk through the fields to Schloss Kalkum after enjoying a beautiful sunrise::
The ducks were looking happy as always:
The castle ghost was there again:
The last of my balcony flowers:
Have a great day, take care,
and thanks a lot for coming by!
Such a beautiful and informative post Valerie x The sunrise looks amazing x
ReplyDeleteSending huge hugs
Annie xx
This is another wonderful post Val, I just love how you put it all together with so much information and lovely pics. And the photos are gorgeous as always. Did you celebrate carnival yesterday? Only joking, I know you don't like it! Have a great week, hugs, Sarah
ReplyDeleteI love the sound of this holiday. What a really lovely idea -- and I can imagine the children parading with their pretty lanterns and collecting for the poor.
ReplyDeleteThose brilliant leaves are like pretty lanterns in themselves, all bright and beautiful and such wonderful reflections. As always, beautiful scenery in your part of the world.
What a lovely tradition. I can tell the Weckmänn with its seed topping is very healthy =^,.^= That sunrise is spectacular. The colors along your walk are amazing and the flowers on your deck are so pretty. Happy T Day
ReplyDeleteThanks for telling me it looks healthy, I'll buy myself another one this week if that's the case!
DeleteInteresting to learn of St Martin. The food looks good! Enjoyed your lovely photos today.
ReplyDeleteHello dear Valerie!
ReplyDeleteSuch beautiful tradition on St Martin’s Day,and the children’s lanterns are so preety!
I’m speechless from the beauty of the Autumn images and the falling leaves! It’s like a red carpet!
Magnificent scenery and pictures! Like your beautiful flowers and the amazing sunrise photos!
And I’m glad to see you posing through your lenses!You are adorable!! Thank you for sharing!!
Wishing you a lovely day and a happy week! Hugs!
Dimi...
Thanks so much dear Dimi, your encouragement means a lot to me. And I haven't been called adorable for about 70 years!
DeleteIt is so fascinating to red about St. Martin's Day. I had never heard of this until someone mentioned it yesterday but I love to learn new things about the world. :) I should like to try the weckmanner too. It is looking beautiful in your part of the world. Here we are very cold and frosty this morning. Hugs-Erika
ReplyDeleteThat pastry does look delicious! The quote on your mug hits the nail right on the head and is a great reminder :) I'm struck by the lanterns, wondering if people make their own. Fascinating!
ReplyDeleteYou got a great photo of the sunrise, and those views make for a delightful walk. The colors this time of the year are wonderful, aren't they! My flowers are long gone, so it's nice to see some continuing into Autumn :) Happy early T
The kids usually make their lanterns in art lessons at school, St Martin is an important feast day here.
DeleteWoooow Valerie !! Those photographs are really amazing, love them, thanks so much for sharing with us. It´s very interesting St Martin´s day, a nice tradition. Love your mug and the realistic quote is gorgeous, I can understand why it ´s your fav :) Wonderful sunrise and walk, love ducks... love all. Absolutely love this fantastique flower !! Great post !! Congrats !
ReplyDeleteI wish you a very nice new week, big hugs, Caty
Thank you for explaining the festival of St Martin and sharing the photos.
ReplyDeleteThe pastry does look delicious and would, I am sure be good to eat with a cuppa. I love the quote on your coffee mug.
Great photos from your walk as well, it was good to see you still have some pretty flowers on your balcony.
Happy T day wishes.
Yvonne xx
I enjoyed reading the traditions around St. Martin's Day, Valerie. Goose with red cabbage and dumplings sounds delicious and festive - even though I've never tasted goose ;-)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful autumn photos. I smiled at the castle ghost :-)
Happy T-day! Hugs, Eileen
Interesting and oh so amazing post, your photos always are of great interest to me and very admirable. Lovely xxx
ReplyDeleteYour morning walk photos are glorious Valerie!! Thanks for sharing this speila holiday celebrated in Germany. I love those lanterns. Happy T day!
ReplyDeleteWhat fun to learn more about St. Martin. I've read about him on a few other blogs I visit, but yours is the most comprehensive. Weckmänner looks lovely, and I was surprised how large it was. I bet you didn't eat that in one setting. Paired with your favorite cappuccino, I'm sure it was absolutely perfect.
ReplyDeleteThose photos of the ducks in water made me even colder than I was before. There is a sheet of solid ice on my bucket of water I use on my outside plants. It snowed here and we got 2 inches. I would rather be walking with you in your world today, because my shoes and socks got really wet when I was outside today!
Thanks for sharing this informative post, your photos from your walk, your Weckmänner, and your cappuccino with us for T this Tuesday, dear Valerie.
That was indeed a family sized Weckmann and I didn't eat it all alone! You can buy smaller ones, but the bigger ones seem to taste better!
DeleteSome very lovely photos. The close-ups of the detail are wonderful! That pastry and goose look so delicious. I think I could like this holiday.
ReplyDeleteHappy Tea Day,
Kate
I have never heard of the feast of St Martin but it sounds like a truly beautiful idea. Thank you for telling us about it Valerie.
ReplyDeleteYour coffee looks tempting and the photographs of your walk are so fantastic I wanted to be there.
Great flowers you still have on the balcony the colours looks so bright.
A Very Happy T Day to you
Love Chrissie xx
How interesting to learn about St Martin. My cousin who lives in Friesland talked about it too. Perhaps they celebrate it in Friesland too.
ReplyDeleteThe photos are beautiful as always. I love the autumn colours. (I smiled at the 'ghost').
Wishing you happy T-Day,
Hugs,
Lisca
Its celebrated all over Germany, but very popular here
DeleteI so enjoyed reading your post today and seeing all your fabulous photos 😀. The feast of St. Martin looks like a wonderful tradition and the Weckmänner looks so yummy! I love the lanterns too and all your beautiful autumnal scenes 😀. Wishing you a Happy T Day! J 😊 x
ReplyDeleteSuch gorgeous photography-you are also an artist with photos.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed learning about St Martin Those lanterns are just lovely
Happy T Kathy
Thanks so much Kathy!🙂
DeleteI'm so glad you wrote about Martinstag. We just celebrated it at the German Language School where I work. The kids in the children's classes had created their own lanterns and in the evening we all paraded through the neighborhood singing the German lantern songs (it was only a brief parade since the air quality due to the smoke from the fires was still very poor). Afterwards we all gathered for some hot chocolate and spiced cider, and there were even Weckmänner!
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear from you again, so glad you enjoyed St.Martin's. Stay safe!
DeleteThank you, that was very interesting to learn about St Martin.
ReplyDeleteI loved seeing all of your photographs, the Autumn colours are still so lovely.
Hope your week is going well.
All the best Jan
Ι love your beautiful balcony flowers, Valerie.
ReplyDeleteThe autumn colours with the happy ducks and the beautiful sunrise and really awesome.
And I LLLLLLLLLLLLOVE El Greco!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hugs, my dear friend.
What fun to read about the St. Martin's celebration. I would like to taste one of those Weckmänn. Your colorful autumn photographs are a joy to see.
ReplyDeleteA lot of beautiful photos and very interesting to read about St. Martin. Have a lovely day.
ReplyDeletexxx Hazel.
Apologies for not visiting lately Valerie! Your St. Martin's celebrations sound interesting, and lovely photos too!
ReplyDeleteBest wishes, Alison xx
How lovely to see your post. It was great to read of the tradition surrounding St Martin. Beautiful lanterns.
ReplyDeleteYour walk is splendid - and your balcony flowers are gorgeous... and well-loved and admired I can tell :D)
I tried to leave a comment yesterday, but was away from home and only had my ipad with me and it would not let me grrr.
ReplyDeleteSo I'll try again, just to say that I love Martinmas, as a child in Holland we always had a procession and the excitement of the white horse and it's knightly rider appearing in the dark was magical! I introduced the festival to the school where I used to work and till this day the kids from Kindergarten to class 3 make lanterns, hear the story of Martin and have a procession in the late afternoon when they come with their parents and sing Martinmas songs. The class 12 pupils act out the story (though we don't usually mange to have a real horse sadly), but it has become a beloved festival for the whole school community.
In the UK in general the festival is barely known, - Halloween totally takes its place. I think if you go back to the true meaning of Samhain, both festivals can well be celebrated each in their own right.
Anyway, great to hear how in Germany it is still celebrated in such a lovely way! A great post with wonderful photos like always.
It's one of my fave feast days, too. I love seeing the excited faces of the kids in the light of the lanterns, and every procession has its own (real!) horse!
DeleteCool!
DeleteI have never heard of St. Martin! Thanks for telling us about it Valerie! I love how the day is celebrated! Gorgeous photos! Love the "ghost" one! Big Hugs!
ReplyDeleteI am here to wish you a very belated Happy T day! This looks like a really fun festival! Your walk looked absolutely beautiful! I'll be around for a catch up soon! Chrisx
ReplyDeletethank you for sharing about St Martin's day! What a lovely holiday. I learn so many things from you,Valerie! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI love that photo of you in the museum -very cool!
hugs,Jackie