The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1922-01-14
OLD CUSTOM STILL. FOLLOWED
EXACTLY By GERMAN ss-s.1
CATHOLICS.

American Catholics of German orr
gin will doubtless be glad to learn
that many of the Old customs are still
observed in Germany. The practice
of going in procession to the church
yards and cemeteries on ALI Saints
Day, and of visiting the resting places
Of the dead on All Souls Day, is CON
tinued.
On All Souls Day the people go to
the graYeyards in the morning and,
after cleaning the headstones and
tombs and putting everything in
order, strew flowers and evergfeens
over all. In the evening there are
candies and lights everywhere; every
grave is Illuminated. Whoever can
return to his native place comes back
to visit the graves of his forebears
and pray there.
st. Martins Day (November III in
former times and in many places even
now, is the day for paying rent and
taxes. For many persons, particular
" poor farmers and tenants, it is not
a happy festival. 1t has not ceased
to be a feast for the children, who
turn it into d joyous holiday. They
prepare f1ambeaux of beet-root Or
pape, decorate them prettily or hor-
ribly, as fancy suggests, and in the
evening gather in crowds to march
and sing, their torches burning
brightly.
In almost every street on the night
of Martinmas one may hear through
out the evening the quaint song:
"St. Martin! ST. Martin! Co.
Give something to Him
Who has given SO much
For SO long time"
Another song to ST. Martin is this:
Here dwells rich man who can give
SO much to us all; long may he live;
May he die happy and go to. Heaven
AT the sound of the children's veic-
es every one comes to his door to be-
stow a mite on the little singers. Even
the poor give something. If. however,
the children receive no gifts, they go
away crying, "Miser! INSERT"
In many towns on the "Nieder-
helm" as at Dusseldorf, Bonn, and
Grevenbroich, the mayor, the priests
and the teachers assemble the chill
dren, who are formed into a, long pro-
cession which passes through the
streets, with bands of music at. the
HEAD, and each marcher carries a
torch. 1t is pretty sight, these
professions Of light winding through
towns and villages while the boys and
girls sing At last the little ones get
their presents-us articles, most
ly, but some sweetmeats too.
1t is a custom, especially in the viii
lagos, for the children to gather straw
and leaves and like combustibles with
which to build bonfires on the tops of
hills. Circling their fire the little
ones sing old songs until the flames
die down and the ennbers cease to
glow. Meanwhile, the adults are as
fsembled at an inn where they cele-
brate the holiday in their own way;
but they never fail to have Die Mar
tinsgans, "St. Martins goose" which
gives them as much pleasure as the
tShAI1ASA 6Ct 1iohI tuCll oOu5 duu pay.
| st. GATHERINGS Day (Noyember 25)
is another festival widely observed
On that day, tradition has it, winter
begins and continues until st. Cert.
rude's day in March. There is a
proverb, st. Catherine casts winter
into the Rhine; st. Gertrude with the
mouse afterwards takes it out"
st. Hubert's Day has lost most OF
/ its significance. st. Hubert in the
time Of Charlemagne was a great
saint, and Bishop of Liege. lie is the
/ patron of those bitten by rabid dogs
Whoever suffered that misfortune was
wont TO make a pilgrimage to the
| Ardennes, in Belgium, where the stole
| of st. Hubert is preserved. A thread
4 from the stole was pressed into q
small wound made in the forehead oil
the sufferer for that purpose. From
that moment st. Hubert's day became
Sunday to him; he was expected te
make q confession and receive Holy
Communion regularly on his patron
feast.
!. EYen those who had merely beer
frightened by. q mad dog became
clients OF ST. Hubert. and kept his