St. Martin's Day

Today is St. Martin's Day. From Wikipedia:

St. Martin's Day (or Martinstag or Martinmas) is November 11, the feast day of Martin of Tours, who started out as a Roman soldier. He was baptized as an adult and became a monk. It is understood that he was a kind man who led a quiet and simple life. The most famous legend of his life is that he once cut his cloak in half to share with a beggar during a snowstorm, to save the beggar from dying of the cold. That night he dreamed that Jesus was wearing the half-cloak Martin had given away. Martin heard Jesus say to the angels: "Here is Martin, the Roman soldier who is not baptised; he has clothed me."

As a child I took part in lantern processions, carrying a paper lantern with a lit candle inside and singing St. Martin songs like this one:

Ich geh’ mit meiner Laterne,
und meine Laterne mit mir.
Da oben leuchten die Sterne,
hier unten leuchten wir.
Mein Licht ist aus,
wir gehn nach Haus.
Rabimmel, Rabammel, Rabumm!

Translation:
I go with my lantern,
and my lantern goes with me.
Up there the stars are shining,
down here we are shining.
My light is out,
we go home.
Rabimmel, Rabammel, Rabumm!

Goose is the traditional dish on Martin's Day. I didn't have it today, but I bought this sweet goose at the bakery:

Tonight I was very lucky to see St. Martin on his white horse -- right in front of my house!