… I’m gonna let it shine!
In Eduwings kindergarten we follow the German tradition of celebrating St. Martin’s Day, the “German Lantern Festival”, in remembrance of Saint Martin, who generously shared his coat and food with a beggar on a cold winter’s night.
Every year in November, we put a special focus in class on learning about sharing and helping those in need, and we get together to light our handcrafted lanterns to remember Saint Martin’s act of generosity and kindness.
This year we wanted to reach out to the poorest and most disadvantaged, and help them like Saint Martin helped the poor old man. We were overwhelmed by the great response to our call for donating blankets to poor people in Qinghai, in cooperation with Qinghai Furui Charity Fund Organization! We’d like to take this opportunity to say a heartfelt thank you to each and every one of you who donated a blanket for this good cause and thus spread the idea of generosity and kindness!
Our St. Martin Lantern Festivals in both Shunyi and Haidian campus on November 8 were a great success! After listening to Saint Martin’s story, everyone gathered in the outdoor area to admire the shine of the children’s lanterns and sing songs together: Children, parents, other family members, teachers – we were one big family united by the warm shine of countless lantern lights brightening the night sky and reminding us to be generous and kind.
Taking a lantern walk together, we let the lanterns’ shine guide us on our way, just as we hope the story of Saint Martin will guide us in our actions and inspire us to good deeds.
The festival ended with our traditional German food and soup buffet, with delicious soups kindly prepared by some talented families. Many thanks for sharing your soups with everyone in the spirit of Saint Martin!
We hope that everyone enjoyed our Saint Martin’s events as much as we did! May everyone remember the lanterns’ light in the cold autumn night as a spark of hope and love in the dark, and carry it in their hearts.
Seasonal greetings,
The Eduwings Team