What a night!
By John Clarke

What a night for a walk! Rain, mist, no moon, no stars, puddles. It was not the best night for the Barossa German Language Association’s annual Lantern Walk.

The Lantern Walk (Laternenlauf) is a German tradition, dating back to prehistoric times when it would have coincided with the winter solstice, ushering in a return to light and warmth as the days grew longer. It became a Christian festival, celebrating the soldier saint Martin, who cut his robe in half to share with a beggar on a bitter winter’s night. His feast day is 11 November.

To continue the tradition the BGLA’s Lantern Walk should be on that date. It would be warmer, and puddles would be unlikely. But with daylight saving the children would be walking with their lanterns at 11 o’clock at night. And the Lantern Walk is today primarily a children’s event.

On Saturday, 25 July the children, accompanied by parents and grandparents, arrived at the Nuriootpa Rover Football Clubrooms to  make their lanterns, assisted by Haylie Cooke and her daughters Ruby and Jade. Some came from home with their own lanterns. With the lanterns made there was food they could eat while the day darkened. (It hardly needed to get darker.) 

There were Vienna sausages in rolls, Sauerkraut, potato soup, pretzels, apple juice (Apfelschorle). The excitement might have distracted the children from the food, but for the adults it was a highlight, a German feast. And the children had the story of St Martin to listen to, told to them by the BGLA President, Steffi Traeger. And to get them and their parents in the mood for the walk the Tanunda Liedertafel sang some traditional German songs.

Outside the rain had stopped, and singing the Laternenlauf songs “Laterne, Laterne” and “Ich geh’ mit meiner Laterne“, accompanied by Ute Schwarz on the accordion, the walkers, their lanterns lit and shining brightly, made their way around the Nuriootpa Oval. It might not be the same as walking snow covered streets in a German village, but the children, and even the adults in their overcoats, enjoyed themselves.

Then it was back into the warmth of the clubrooms for a warm drink and cake. And for the adults Glühwein. 

What a night!