The Cluj-Napoca Promenade was filled with children's squeals and the flickering light of hundreds of lanterns.
Many folk customs and beliefs are associated with the feast day of Saint Martin of Tours, November 11, one of which is the Martin's Day lantern parade, which preserves the saint's memory and brings light symbolizing good deeds to people. Mikó Kindergarten in Cluj-Napoca decided ten years ago that they would also celebrate the folk traditions of St. Martin's Day in the kindergarten, the first year they only did a short walk around the kindergarten with their lanterns, and then gradually extended the light procession to the Walking Square as well.
Today, the St. Martin's Day parade has become a tradition in Cluj-Napoca, this year more than 20 educational institutions joined the Mikó Kindergarten, so the park was filled with children's noise and the flickering light of hundreds of lanterns.
As in many settlements in Transylvania and Hungary, every year in Cluj-Napoca, kindergarten students light up the city with their own lanterns on Sétatér. The light procession announced by Mikó Kindergarten for November 10 this year started from the entrance of the Hungarian Opera House at 6:30. and the visitors.
Orsolya Győrffy, the kindergarten teacher at Mikó Kindergarten, said that it was decided about ten years ago that the folk traditions of St. Martin's Day would also be celebrated in the kindergarten.
"The first year we only took a short walk around the kindergarten with our lanterns, the next year we went a little further, to the Sétatér, to involve a larger audience, as we want to promote Márton's goodness with this symbolic walk"
he told me.
Kindergarten students have been preparing for the Light Procession all week, learning songs and nursery rhymes, and the kindergarten teachers also introduce them to the legendary figure of St. Martin. At the same time, everyone can make their own lantern, which they can try out during the light procession.
Orsolya Győrffy explained that in order to make the walks as interesting as possible, they try to come up with something new every year. There were times when Márton also appeared on his horse and accompanied the procession, and musicians often added color to the event. At the same time, the kindergarten teacher also explained why this day is important to her.
"For me, St. Martin's Day is nice, because at this time you can meet a lot of old acquaintances, and it's always refreshing at the beginning of winter to see so many nice, familiar faces at the lantern parade"
- He told.
Featured Image: Maszol/Screenshot
