Veterans Day

[Eva Elisabeth]

Quite the historical day as it is also St. Martin's Day and kids carry their lanterns through the streets - the original beginning of Advent and a period of 40 days fasting (Quadragesima Sancti Martini - Saint Martin's Lent) on all days except Saturdays and Sundays from Saint Martin's Day to Epiphany (Feast of the Three Wise Men, Matthew 2: 1-12), later shortened and called "Advent " by the Church. St. Martin was a Roman soldier and known as friend of the children and patron of the poor.

Finally it's a day of abolition - one edict of Baron vom Stein's Prussian reforms liberated all the Prussian peasants by 11 November 1810 at the latest. This edict began the process of abolishing serfdom.