A Magical Evening of Light and Community: Our Lantern Festival 2025

Last week’s Lantern Festival was a wonderful success. Despite the heavy rain in the morning, the celebration was far from falling through. After an open and welcoming start with music, coffee, and a delicious cake buffet, the kindergarten children opened the festivities with a beautiful light dance. They were followed by the preschool children, who performed a small theatre play about the story of St. Martin. The children were full of excitement, gave their very best, and were rewarded with warm applause from their families, teachers, educators, and friends.

Before the lantern walk began, all guests joined together to sing the well-known lantern songs that the children had practiced for many weeks. Finally, the moment arrived: the children proudly lit up their carefully crafted lanterns, filling the evening with colour and glow.

A very special surprise awaited the children at the GISA entrance gate: St. Martin on a brown horse, leading the colourful lantern procession of excited children accompanied by traditional lantern songs.

After the lantern walk, everyone gathered back on the school grounds, where the festival concluded with a shared dinner, music, and joyful togetherness. As a farewell gift, every child received a Weckmann — a traditional German pastry that simply belongs to the Lantern Festival.

A heartfelt thank you to all children, parents, educators, and teachers who helped make this a truly wonderful Lantern Festival!