KIDPROJ MCC: St. Martinus // Sint Maarten

A Page From the KIDPROJ Multi-Cultural Calendar
St. Martinus // Sint Maarten - The Netherlands
by Meike de Haas

11 November

Sint Maarten

This is my story about Saint Maarten

Once there lived a Bishop Martinus.
He was a very nice man and he always helped the poor.

Ther is a story about him: On a stormy night, he was travelling on
his horse, when he saw a poor beggar with almost no clothes on.
The man was shaking for cold and very hungry.
Bishop Martinus took his sword and cut his cape in two halves.
And the same he did with his bread.
He gave that to the beggar, saing: "this is all I have so I share
it with you."

Now, in the northern part of the Netherlands we celebrate every
year on November 11 the festival of Sint Maarten.
At home or in the school we make lampions and do a little
candle in it.
We go walk with it outside in the evening with some friends (three or
four of us) and ring the doorbells of the houses.

Lampion:

_______
    _(_)_
    \===/
    /+++\
    \+++/
    /===\

We have to sing then some special songs, really mad songs like:

Sint Maarten, Sint Maarten,    //  Saint Maarten, Saint Maarten,
De koeien hebben staarten,     //  The cows have tails,
De meisjes hebben rokjes aan,  //  The girls are wearing skirts,
Daar komt Sint Martinus aan!   //  Saint Martinus is arriving now!

In Dutch it rhymes, not in English :-(

Another song:

Sint Martinus Bischop,         //  Saint Martinus Bishop,
Met z'n hoge hoed op,          //  Wearing a long hat,
Met z'n rode laarsjes aan,     //  Wearing his little red boots,
Daar komt Sint Martinus aan!   //  Saint Martinus is arriving now!

Strange songs, no???

We get candy, fruits or money, after walking for some hours we have often a plastic bag full of candies etc.

O I forgot another silly song, if someone does not open the door, and you see the lights are on in the house, we COULD sing:

Hier woont Juffrouw Kikkerbil, //  Here lives Miss Frog's But
Die ons niks meer geven wil!   //  Who refuses to give us anything!

This year I became 12 years old, that is supposed to be TOO old for "walking St.Maarten", but in the secret I did it for the last time! (I just gave the last candies to my father and my sister :-) )

Veel groetjes en xxx,

Meike

____________________________________________________________
Meike de Haas, Groningen, The Netherlands <sdh@xs4all.nl>

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