Last week Sebastian's school got together for a lantern walk after dark to celebrate Martinmas. The students at Sebastian's school learn lots of stories of noble people throughout the year including stories of saints such as Martin-the man who saw a shivering beggar at the city gate and drew his sword to cut his cloak in half in order to share it. Carrying the lanterns on a walk in the evening represents how we can shine our own light in the darkness.
Their teacher had the kids color large sheets of paper and then we helped the kids coat the back side in cooking oil to make the sheets translucent. Once they'd soaked in the oil a few of the moms volunteered to fold them into lanterns following this tutorial. We met at a local park after dark with most of the rest of his class and visited while his teacher and some parents helped set lit tea lights inside each of the lanterns. Then we walked quietly around the park listening to the students sing their Martinmas song before having pumpkin muffins and visiting while the kids played in the dark on the playground.
It was a beautifully clear night just under the mountains and a great time getting to know some of the moms and dads we don't usually visit with at pick up. Switching to this new school was a big decision for our family but it has been such a great one for all of us.
Also, I now have exceptional lantern making skills.
-Rachel
I'm Rachel Denbow, an author, e-course writer, maker, craft stylist, and general DIY enthusiast. 
