The Halloween pumpkin versus the fodder beet of German traditions.

Yet, when I was very small and lived in a village in Hessia by Frankfurt/Main in Germany, beet root was the custom for our alternative lantern festival.

That was the time when the Halloween pumpkin was not even seen in German vegetable shops. This is about six decades ago, as we are now in 2011.

That night of our home made sugar beet or rather fodder beet lanterns was on November 11th on Saint Martin day, just before lent, though.

There was no Halloween pumpkin shop in Germany, then. Today, every party business includes it in all its towns. Party things and party decorations are tops now.

The carving of a beet Halloween pumpkin alternative.

My alternative German beet carving
was a bit of a tricky mess for us kids.
Our elder brothers or sisters assisted often with the hollowing out of the fodder beet. Those pumpkins were rather oval, unlike those of sugar beet. However, their almost grey, very pale complexion made them look ghostlike, indeed.

The trick was to leave enough flesh on the bottom of the Halloween pumpkin to make something like a broomstick take hold in it. Often our Halloween pumpkin alternative broke when the stick was added to it. Making holes for eyes, nose and mouth was no big deal, though. However, it wasn't easy to place a light inside the beet. But the beat illumination was the fun. That gave it the ghost look. No ghost lantern festival could be without illuminated fodder or sugar beet. By the way, the Saint Martin day lantern festival with beet is also celebrated in Austria and in Switzerland, where Halloween is also taking over.

What about our St.Martinsmas or Halloween costumes?

We were putting some white coats over our winter clothing for a more scary appearance. They were just made of old cotton sheets. They looked eery and spooky enough for our little fodder beet night parties.

But, the best of all was that our elder brothers and sisters would tell ghost stories during the night event. Sometimes, some of us even made a bonfire on the occasion.

Saint Martin Day goose

Some farmers served a Saint Martin goose with red cabbage and Knoedel on that day, but I can't remember that there was anything special to eat in my family.

The genuine lantern festival German traditions

Meantime, we had what the town Bad Homburg called a real lantern festival at the end of summer. Paper lantern making became one of very old German customs in all schools in my town district, then. Reason for this was the town's historical Thai, i.e. Siam connection.

Ebersbacher School honors old German traditions which resemble Halloween

See what the beets which we made looked like, although the Ruebengeister which translate into beet ghosts don't show the sticks or carry poles of our night parades. The short Article in German says that the beet were especially cultivated for the event of beet ghosts of the village Rosswaelder Ebersbach school in Germany. That location whose name is familiar to me is in the south of Frankfurt/Main.

Invitation for tourists

Restaurant La Barrilla of the 5 star luxury Spa hotel Hotel Botanico of La Paz Puerto de la Cruz Tenerife is inviting to a Saint Martin Day dinnerparty on November 11, 2011. Of course, this will be with tradional, hearty St. Martin goose, red cabbage and Austrian Knoedel and the best wines you may wish for.

Get ideas about different ways of celebrating Halloween with music, parties, concerts and more by Tenerife events.

Please, click plus1 to show your appreciation of this information. Thank you very much.

Back to similar traditions with the ghost festival vegetable

Go to Tenerife events to get an idea about how the spooky November pumpkin parties with ghost masquerades and modern music are celebrated.

Custom Search

New! Comments