No, not that Franco-Dutch Caribbean island. I’m talking about something else. Recently, some of you were talking about trick-or-treating. Trick-or-treating is not a very common custom in the Netherlands, but in certain parts of the country, we do have something similar: Saint Martin or Saint Martin’s day, which is today, November 11. On this evening, children go door-to-door singing short Saint Martin’s songs while carrying lanterns, which they usually made in school. In return they get candy. Of course, this was something I really enjoyed when I was a child. (I’m glad I didn’t have diabetes back then!)
As with many traditions, there’s much debate about the origins of Saint Martin. The story goes that St. Martin, who was a soldier, on a cold day cut his cloak in half to share it with a beggar, which is why he became the patron saint of beggars. His burial day became a feast celebrated by the poor, which in the 20s and 30s of last century changed into a tradition celebrated by all children.
Saint Martin’s songs, by the way, are short songs that don’t make much sense. Here are some examples:
Saint Martin, Saint Martin,
Cows have tails
Girls wear skirts
Here comes St. Martin
November 11 is the day
my little light, my little light-
November 11 is the day
my little light may burn
Or a popular parody (docslotnick might like this 
) :
November 12 is the day
the dentist, the dentist-
November 12 is the day
the dentist may drill
