From The Who Knew Files ... A Weckmann, Lanterns and Children’s Singing on St. Martin’s Day!

For a great St. Martin's celebration in your home, consider making a Weckmann (Waking Man).

You will need:

1 package of Dry Yeast
1 teaspoon Sugar
300 g Flour
80 g Sugar
1 pinch of Salt
80 g soft Butter
2 Egg Yolks
1 pinch powdered Safran
Additionally, one egg yolk for coating, raisins, and a clay pipe for decoration

Mix the yeast and teaspoon of sugar with the lukewarm milk and let it stand for 15 minutes. Sift the flour, sugar, salt, and safran into a bowl. Add the butter egg yolks, and milk mixture (previously prepared) and mix all the ingredients together. Then, knead the dough, put it in a bowl, covered with a towel, and set it aside in a warm place to rise. Once the dough had a chance to rise (ca. 30 to 40 minutes), roll it out until it is about 1 cm thick, cut out the figure of the Weckmann, set it on a greased cookie sheet, and brush it with the remaining egg yolk. The raisins will make the eyes, buttons, etc., and the clay pipe is pushed into the middle of the dough figure. Allow the figure to rise again for a brief period of time and then bake it for 15 to 20 minutes in an 175 - 200° C oven or until light brown and firm to the touch.

1. For a wonderful site with tips and tricks on how to make a great St. Martin's lantern, please visit UHU, and use your browser's translation option.
2. If you are interested in keeping the celebrations and traditions alive with your children on this holiday, here are some songs that are sung in honor of this occasion:

   Ich geh' mit meiner Laterne
   Ich geh' mit meiner Laterne
   und meine Laterne mit mir.
   Dort oben leuchten die Sterne,
   und unten, da leuchten wir.
   Mein Licht ist aus,
   ich geh' nach Haus,
   rabimmel, rabammel, rabum.

   Mein Licht ist aus,
   ich geh' nach Haus,
   rabimmel, rabammel, rabum.

   Listen to the melody for this song!

   Sankt Martin
   Sankt Martin, Sankt Martin, Sankt Martin
   ritt durch Schnee und Wind,
   sein Roß das trug ihn fort geschwind.
   Sankt Martin ritt mit leichtem Mut:
   sein Mantel deckt' ihn warm und gut.

   Im Schnee da saß ein armer Mann,
   hatt' Kleider nicht, hatt' Lumpen an.
   O helft mir doch in meiner Not,
   sonst ist der

   The copyright of the article From The Who Knew Files ... A Weckmann, Lanterns and Children’s Singing on St. Martin’s Day! in Germanic Culture is owned by Sylvia Cochran. Permission to republish From The Who Knew Files ... A Weckmann, Lanterns and Children’s Singing on St. Martin’s Day! in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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