Peeping Through the Window Cover Print Compressed

Peeping through the Window

Leabhar na bhFeílte Festivals

Festivals

“We are all citizens of one world, we are all of one blood” -John Amos Comenius

When our schools set off on our Comenius journey we had similar hopes, fears and expecta- tions. We were looking for learning opportunities, ways to communicate and to make new friends. Our original plan focused on three themes to bring us together: Food, Games and Fes- tivals. The themes were well chosen as they were universal and yet so different in each country.

This is a book about festivals and reading through it you will find a common message of celebrating, joy and sharing. The book reflects the hard work of teachers and students in all four countries: Ireland, Turkey, Spain and Germany. It is entirely appropriate therefore that one of the final acts of the project is a coming together and celebration in Germany.

“Bir elin nesi var, iki elin sesi var” “El trabajo compartido es mas llevadero” “ Viele Hände macht leicht Arbeit ” “Ni neart go cur le chéile” (strength in unity )

St. Patrick’s Comenius Team, Tuam

Table of Contents Festivals Na Féilte

January 6th Page 7 The Three Wise Men (Spain)

February 1st Page 11 Saint Brigid’s Day (Ireland)

February Page 13 (40 days before Easter) Carnival (Spain) March 17th Page 18 Saint Patrick’s Day (Ireland)

April 23rd Page 21 National Sovereignty & Chil- dren's Day (Turkey) May 19th Page 23 Commemoration of Statürk Youth & Sports Day (Turkey) June 24th Page 25 Saint John’s Night (Spain)

July 8th Page 29 Celebration of Saint Killian (Germany)

August 16th Page 31 Celebration of Saint Rochus (Germany)

September Page 33 Ramadan Festival (Turkey)

October 31st Page 35 Halloween (Ireland)

November 11th Page 38 Saint Martin’s Day (Germany)

December 25th Page 41 Celebration of Christmas

(Germany) 5

FESTIVALS

“The three Wish Men ” Date: 6ºth of January

In Spain we celebrate an special day a little bit diferent from other cristians countries.

The 6ºth of January we have the three Wish Men day. Remembering the visit of the three kings to Jesus when he was born in Belen in which they brought him gold, inciense and myrrh. All the Spanish children has got present this day.

All the children are very excited this day. They usually write a letter before to their majesties and if they had been good children, they have got toys this day.

The morning of the 7 th is the happiest for them. And our Christmas are a little bit long till this day.

Every child has his or her favourite king Melchor (the oldest), Gaspar (the brown bear and hair), and Baltasar (The black one, and the most popular).

School will open two days after this celebration

“The cavalcade of the Vise Men” Mª del Mar Palacio 1º A Primary

“The Wise men and the Chistmas tree” 8 Yolanda Jiménez. Five year old

The Wise men visiting our school the last day of the term before Christmas

The Wise me has arrive of our school “thanks” to our parent’s association 9

Festivals Saint Brigid’s Day February 1st

Saint Brigid’s Cross Saint Brigid

Saint Brigid’s Well Saint Brigid’s Church

FESTIVALS

“Carnival ” Date: 40 days before Easter

No school holidays in Madrid but a celebration in every school very popular all along the country. It is an international celebration well know all around the world.

The origin of this celebration is a mixure of religious and very ancient traditions. Forty days before the Lent we celebrate the Carnival, which means party and dance and music.

On the other side of Lent that is silent, pray and fasting. Carnival is the triumph of happiness, party and music and dance.

This festival comes back with the democracy, however always have been celebrated. People usually wear costumes and fancy dresses and music and dance are everywhere.

Every part of the country has their own costumes. Saturday Carnival is the most important day we act the fight between Carnal (the party part) and Mrs. Lent (the religions part). Finish on Wednesday in the sardine funeral. A panthomime which represented the end or the party.

Álvaro José Peña . Five year old. “Mr. Carnal, king of carnival”

14 Sonia Ávalos. Five years old.

Lucía Chen. Five years old. “Costumes and the sardine in Carnaval” 15

Mr. Carnal visiting our school

16 The funeral of the sardine burial

Festivals Saint Patrick’s Day March 17th

FESTIVALS

“Saint John’s Night ” Date: 24 th of June

In Spain we celebrate the change between Spring and Summer. It is the night of Saint John. This night we have born fires in the streets and we burn old things for the change time.

In some villages and towns we celebrate parties and music and dance are al- most everywhere.

We do not have school holidays but we will be soon in summer holidays, so we celebrate the new season and the starter of the Summer.

It’s the summer solstice

The bonfire in the summer solstice 26

People dancing arround the bonfire

Celebration of St. Kilian in July in Würzburg – Germany

on the „Alte Mainbrücke“ in Würzburg

Why do we celebrate the Kiliani Festival?

Kilian was born anno Domini 640 at Mullagh, County Cavan, Ireland. With his two companions Kolonat and Totnan he left Ireland in a small boat arriving at Würzburg at the year 686. He became something like a bishop at the court of Duke Gozbert. Kilian wanted, that the Duke Gozbert should be divorced from his wife Gailana, because she had been the wife of his brother, who has died. This was incest by the Christian opinion at that time. A legend tells us, that Gailana gave the order to murder Kilian and his companions in the year 689 when her husband was not at home. The dead bodies were buried in the horse stable. In the year 752 the bodies have been found and became Saints of the Diocese of Würzburg. Bishop Burghard erected a wooden chapel at the place where Kilian and his companions have been found. Today at this place is the church of Neumünster, where we can see the copies of the three Saints made by the great artist Riemenschneider. The bones of the three Franconian apostles are kept in a reliquary casket in the crypt of the Neumünster church. The heads are kept in a casket of quartz in the altar of the cathedral, which is named after Saint Kilian. This casket is presented to the public at the Kiliani-Festival at the 8 th of July. During this time there is a folk festival and a trade fair at the Talavera place. You can find Kilian everywhere in the city. He is one of the statues on the old Main-Bridge, another statue can be seen in front of the Kilian-House beside the cathedral. Outside the main station there is the Kilian-Fountain, which is restored at the moment. 29

Celebration of St. Rochus in August in Versbach/Würzburg - Germany

Why have we the Rochus Festival in Versbach?

Each year we celebrate the Rochus Festival at the 16 th of August. It is tradition at Versbach, which is a district of Würzburg.

The saint Rochus was the patron of the pestilence. A hundred years ago there was a great pestilence epidemic in this region. Also at Versbach many people died by pestilence. The saint Rochus attended the sick persons, until he died himself by pestilence. His loyal dog licked the wounds of his master till death and brought him bread, because nobody wanted to give Rochus something to eat.

We thank the saint Rochus for his devotional help by celebrating the Rochus Festival each year.

Painted from Max

Festivals Halloween October 31st

Celebration of St. Martin in November in Germany

Painted after Kandinsky by the 1st class

St. Martin

Already at the age of 15 years Martin entered the army of the Roman emperor as a normal soldier. He was courageous and keen in fight, friendly and helpful to the conquered, decent and honest to his comrades. He soon got a lot of friends and also got a high reputation. At the age of 20 years the Roman emperor made him to Tribune, a captain of a detachment of Roman soldiers. Together with his legion went over the land and battled against those, who were against the Roman domination. Again and again the Roman legions had to force them with sword and fire.

One day the legion of Martin entered the city of Amiens. It was autumn, a cold wind stormed over the bare fields. The soldiers looked for a warm house and marched very quickly though the town gate. There cowered an old beggar, hungry and freezing because he was half naked. With trembling voice he asked for a charity. But the soldiers passed him very quickly. They gave him no glance. Then Martin came riding on his horse, wearing a red coat which was rich decorated. The soldiers were very astonished, because Marin stopped his horse, got down and went to the beggar, who upraised his hands asking for a charity. Martin looked at him and pulled his sword out of the scabbard. The soldiers glared at her Tribune. What did want to do? Why took he his sword – the beggar was defenceless? Martin held with his left hand the one half of his coat and cut it off with his sword. He quickly threw the cut half to the beggar.

Before the beggar could thank him, Martin was already away in the city. During the night Martin dreamed, that Jesus has appeared to him in the shape of the beggar. Soon Martin undressed his uniform and got baptized. Some years later the folk elected this pious man to their bishop. Martin hided, but the geese betrayed him. Loved by the people Martin died at 11 th of November 401.

Every year all children celebrate the St. Martin´s day on the 11 th of November.

Celebration of St. Martin in November in Germany Old traditions around Saint Martin

Martin The Roman name „Martinus“ comes from “Mars”. That is the name of the god of war of the Romans. If you translate the name it could mean “belonging to Mars” or “warrior/fighter”. Since Martin from Tours is adored as a saint, Martin became a common Christian name. Many often times you can find it also as a family name. In dialect language Martin often changes to “Mätes”, “Merten” or to family name “Mertens”.

Martin church anniversary (Martinikirchweih) Churches are often named after the name of saints. He is the patron saint of the congregation. Many churches have the name St. Martin and they celebrate at the 11 th of November the Martin church anniversary.

Martin-Evening The Martin-Evening is celebrated at the eve of Martin church anniversary, that is the 10 th of November. There is a “St. Martinszug” – children walk through the streets carrieng lanterns and singing Martin-songs. Also St. Martin riding on a horse and the beggar are essential persons.

Martin-Goose At Roman times the goose was a respectable animal. She accompanied the god of war Mars. Yelling geese kept the city of Rome from capture by the enemies. Geese have betrayed the hermit Martin, when he hided from the people, who wanted to choose him as bishop. at Middle Ages people liked to eat at the eve of Martin a roasted goose filled with raisins and European chestnuts.

Martin-Lanterns During the Martin-Procession the lanterns of the children should bring light into the darkness. They also are a symbol for the light of the belief, bishop Martin declared to the people. In the past there were real candles in the lanterns, today you can often find electric bulbs and batter- ies. The Martin-Processions resemble the light- processions at the eve of great church holidays.

Martin-Rolls This custom resembles to the common meal of the Chris- tian after the church service. During the time men tried to change normal bread to a more festive form of pastries. They eat it at St. Nicholas-Day and also at St. Mar- tin-day. It has many names: Stutenkerl, Piepenkerl, Printenmann, Hanselmann. Klasemann 39

Celebration of Christmas in Germany

Painted by the 2 nd class

The becoming of the Christmas tree

In former times light and evergreen plants were regarded as magic. If we think of our Christmas tree the light and the evergreen are the essential attributes. Long before the Christmas tree, people arranged lights at Christmas to prevent evil spirits and they had to burn the whole night. Even the animals got their lights at Christmas and blessed food to be sheltered towards witches.

Green branches were brought into the house, mainly from fir tree, box tree, yew tree, holly and juniper. These plants should have a special power. There is a verse of the 15 th century:

Who has no green branch of the fir tree in his house, who will not live to the end of the year.

People were no longer satisfied with the branches and more and more they took trees in their houses. They were hang up in the edges or under the ceiling. Why there? These should be preferred places for the evil spirits.

At the beginning these trees were only simply green – later they had been decorated. There is a travel diary from the year 1605, which tells us:

At Christmas people had Christmas trees at Strasburg in their houses, they had been decorated with roses from coloured paper, apples, wafers, gold and sugar.

At that time there were no candles on the trees, but many sweets. At Epiphany day the children are allowed to plunder the tree and to eat all the sweets.

At some places it was usual to put big branches of broad-leafed trees instead of fir trees into the houses. In the warm rooms these branches started to blow like the Barbara-Branches at our times.

At the year 1700 the first Christmas trees had been decorated by candles. But only rich people could afford this. Sometimes every member of a family got his own tree. Exactly to the hierarchy – the father the biggest and the kitchen maid the smallest.

But it took a long time until the Christmas tree was common in Germany. At last at 1900 the use of Christmas trees got established in the southern part of Germany. There the people liked more the cots with a collection of figurines to be displayed at Christmas. For a long time the Christian church dammed all this as heathen superstition. But the enthusiasm for the Christmas tree was so great that the church gave up. The Christmas tree got an angel or the star of Bethlehem on its top. By this it changed to a Christian symbol.

All of the story above is only true for Germany. Most of the other countries assumed later the Christmas tree decorated with candles.

So all families in Germany celebrate the birth of Jesus at the 24 th of December and they have a Christmas tree with a crib in their living-rooms.

Partnership of Schools Rannpháirtíocht na Scoileanna

Özel Altinyildiz Koleji Dedeman Oteli Karsisi Ügüp Yolu Üzeri—50100 Nevsehir

C.E.I.P. “Francisco de Quevedo” C/ Alemania, 18 28.943—Fuenlabrada MADRID

Volkssdhule Würzburg-Versbach Heide 14 97078 Würzburg

Saint Patrick’s Primary School Dublin Road Tuam Co. Galway