St. Martin's Day Nov. 11 Published Nov. 10, 2015 By Iris Reiff 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- Each November, local townspeople host a colorful torchlight procession in honor of St. Martin. St. Martin's Day is Nov. 11, but the dates for celebrations vary from town to town and sometimes take place days before or after. Germans celebrate St. Martin's Day with a procession where children carry candles or battery-operated lanterns through the town. The children sing St. Martin songs. "Sankt Martin ist ein guter Mann," or St. Martin is a good man, is one of the many songs parents practice with their children to prepare them for the procession. In some towns, firefighters lead the parade with torches in hand, followed by the town band and a man portraying St. Martin, clad in the uniform of a Roman legionnaire, on horseback. The colorfully illuminated procession ends with a huge bonfire. "St. Martin" then encourages the children and hands out large sugar pretzels. In some towns, the traditional ceremony ends with an opportunity to win a goose, the popular "St. Martin's Gans," and other prizes, usually at a well-known spot in town, a hall or local fire department. Raffle tickets are usually sold by local firefighters. A limited number of tickets for the goose raffle can also be purchased at the fire department prior to the raffle. The goose became associated with St. Martin's Day because this time of year is when the goose-fattening period ends. After the summer harvest, farmers let the geese find their food on mowed fields. The only cost to the farmer is tending to the geese, but as soon as it gets cold, farmers sell or kill the fattened geese. Parsons demanded geese as payment for the taxes due to them at this time, and the custom developed into a tradition of eating goose on St. Martin's Day. According to legend, St. Martin was born early in the fourth century during the military administration of the Emperor Constantine in Szombathel, Hungary. He led a Christian life growing up and served his time in the Roman army. Although other officers mistreated soldiers and slaves, St. Martin distributed what he could save from his pay to the poor. While riding outside the gates of Amiens, he encountered a freezing beggar who asked for help, but Martin had already given all his pay to the poor. He drew his sword, slit his tunic in two and gave half to the beggar. The legend states the following night, Christ appeared to St. Martin and said, "What you have done to the least of my brothers, you have done to me." Although Martin was rather modest, his devotion, kindness and fairness were such that his fame spread throughout the country, and he was soon appointed as Bishop of Tours in France for 25 years until he died at age 82. Some local Saint Martin parades take place in: Spangdahlem, Nov. 11, 6 p.m. from the local church Auw an der Kyll, Nov. 12, 6 p.m. from the Gemeindehalle or community hall Preist, Nov. 11, 6:10 p.m. from the local church Hosten, Nov. 13, 6:30 p.m. from the Dorfbrunnen fountain area Speicher, Nov. 13, 6 p.m. from the local church Phillipsheim, Nov. 14, 6 p.m. from the Kallenbachbruecke bridge Herforst, Nov. 14, 5 p.m. following a short church gathering Binsfeld, Nov. 13, 5:30 p.m. following a local church gathering Niederkail, Nov. 14, 6 p.m. from the village center Landscheid, Nov. 13, 6 p.m. from the village center Niersbach, Nov. 14, 6 p.m. from the Toepferstrasse bridge Greverath, Nov. 13, 6 p.m. from Zum Weissenstein Strasse Hetzerath, Nov. 13, 6 p.m. following a local church gathering Salmtal/Doerbach, Nov. 13, 6:30 p.m. from the community center Bitburg Sued, Nov. 10, 6:30 p.m. from the Bitburg Sued Grundschule or Elementary school Bitburg-Mötsch, Nov. 13, 6:30 p.m. from the Moetsch church Bitburg Nord, Nov. 11, 6 p.m. from the Bitburg Nord Elementary school Biersdorf am See, Nov. 10, 6 p.m. from the corner of Kornmarkt and Muehlenstrasse. Wittlich-Bombogen, Nov. 14, 6 p.m., from the street corner Berlinger Strasse and Zum Bruehl Wittlich-Wengerohr, Nov. 13, 6 p.m., from Schmiedestrasse Plein, Nov. 10, 6 p.m., following a local church gathering Osann-Monzel, Nov. 13, 6 p.m. from the local Elementary School or Grundschule Schladt, Nov. 10, 6:30 p.m. from the community center Niederscheidweiler, Nov. 11, 6:15 from the local church Bettenfeld, Nov. 13, 6 p.m. from the local church Manderscheid, Nov. 12, 5:30 p.m. following a local church gathering Wallscheid, Nov. 11, 7 p.m. from the local Kindergarden