Carrying the Light: Martinmas and the Lantern Walk at WSP
As November settles in and the days grow shorter, Waldorf communities around the world prepare for one of the year’s most tender traditions: Martinmas and the Lantern Walk. At Waldorf School of the Peninsula, this quiet festival arrives just as autumn’s golden glow gives way to longer evenings—inviting us to kindle a soft, steady light from within.
A Story of Warmth and Compassion
At the heart of Martinmas is the gentle story of St. Martin of Tours, a Roman soldier who encountered a beggar on a bitterly cold night. Seeing the man shivering, Martin cut his own cloak in two and shared it without hesitation— a reminder that acts of kindness, especially small, humble ones, can hold deep meaning.
In Waldorf schools, this story is shared not as a moral directive, but as a picture of compassion, generosity, and simple human warmth. These qualities become the guiding thread of the festival.
Lanterns Made by Hand, Hearts Illuminated
In the weeks leading up to Martinmas, classrooms across WSP come alive with lantern-making. Students paint watercolor washes in autumn tones, shape paper and wire, or hollow tiny gourds—each lantern crafted slowly, thoughtfully, and by hand. They are made to be carried, to shine, and to remind each child of the light they hold inside.
An Evening Walk of Light
At dusk, families gather for the Lantern Walk. Children carry their glowing lanterns into the darkening evening, singing gentle songs that have echoed through Waldorf communities for generations:
“Glimmer, lantern, glimmer…”
“My lantern, my lantern, shining near and far…”
The procession is simple and beautiful; small points of light weaving quietly along the path, illuminating one another as they go.
The Significance of Martinmas
In a season that asks us to slow down, Martinmas offers a reminder that each person carries a light all their own, and that our shared humanity glows brightest when we act with compassion.
Children learn this truth not through instruction, but through experience: through crafting something with care, through singing together, through walking side by side with their lanterns in the dark. They sense that kindness, like light, grows stronger when shared.
A Guiding Glow for the Season Ahead
As your child brings home their lantern and perhaps hums a new melody, know that these gestures carry something meaningful. Martinmas invites us to notice the small acts of generosity that brighten our days and to carry that spirit into the winter months ahead.
At WSP, the Lantern Walk is more than a festival—it’s a moment to pause, breathe, and remember that each of us can be a source of warmth in the world.
Pictured below: Grades 1-4 light the path during their Lantern Walk.
