11 November - Sint Maarten

Hello friends!

 

 11 November is the day, that Saint Martin is commemorated. 

Children will come to our homes as soon as it's becoming dark outside, carrying a Chinese lantern (often self-made), singing at the front door a Saint Martin-song, hoping for some sweets or fruit we'll give them in return.

It's not an all-over-the-country tradition, but in my region it happily is.

 I am gonna buy a basket of tangerines for those sweet little singing children, that hopefully will come to my door, accompanied by a grown-up.

 I remember,  when I grew up living in Groningen city, we went singing at the doors, sometimes not taking a Chinese lantern, but a scooped out sugar-beet, which is grown very much by farmers in this northern area.

But growing older, too old for singing ourselves, we had to walk with the little ones of our family. And that I loved!

 Some songs one can hear at the door tonight:

 Wij komen hier met lichtjes aan

het is Sint Maartensfeet

en als u ons nu lang laat staan

dat is niet goed geweest.

 Mijn kaarsje is haast opgebrand

zeg nooit 'wij geven niets'.

 Sint Maarten, ja die brave man,

die gaf toch altijd iets.

 ~~~~~~~~

 To show gratitude for the sweets:

 God zal u lonen

met honderdduizend kronen,

met honderdduizend lichtjes aan;

 daar komt Sint Martinus aan.

 ~~~~~~~~~

And a very quick one, in a hurry to collect as many sweets as possible :>)

Sint Maarten, Sint Maarten, 

de koeien hebben staarten

de  meisjes hebben rokjes aan

daar komt Sint Martinus aan.

 ~~~~~~~~ 

 And in case there is one in the house, who does not want to come to the door though, next song

is appropriate!

Hier woont juffrouw kikkerbil

die ons nooit wat geven wil!

~~~~~~~~~

 Till soon.

 Cheers!