Traditional Lantern Walk at Spielwelt

Join Spielwelt families and friends for a traditional German Lantern walk outside the Turner Scout Hall on Saturday 21 June.

"The tradition of Laternelaufen, or lantern walks, dates back to at least the Middle Ages. In some regions, lanterns would be made out of turnips to mark the end of the autumn harvest, similar to Hallowe’en traditions with pumpkins. The tradition became associated with St Martin’s Day, held around the middle of November to celebrate Martin of Tours, a Roman soldier living in Gaul in 316 AD. According to the legend, Martin slit his cape in two, and shared it and his bread with a shivering homeless beggar in the depths of winter."

"The Lantern walk therefore celebrates the warmth in our hearts, the light of hope and the importance of helping others when it is cold and dark. In many parts of Germany, the lantern walk is often accompanied by someone dressed as St Martin in his red cape, on a horse, with a bag full of bread that is passed to the children. Spielwelt has honoured this tradition for over a decade in Canberra, albeit in June rather than November!" (from Spielwelt website, Lantern Walk 2024)