November is already here! Can you believe it? It feels like these months are flying by! Advent/Nativity are around the corner now (starting Nov 15th).

This month, we will be learning about one of my favorite saints and feast day traditions - St Martin! If you are not familiar with him, please allow me to introduce you. He is one of our favorite saints and the traditions surrounding his feast can also soon become a beloved tradition for you and your family! Be sure to check out the Orthodox Liturgical Living Printable for the month of November. I’ve also included in this blogpost additional resources that pair with the printable.

This Month Includes :

• Important dates for November, the Saint of the month, a family activity to prepare for the fast, simple craft and feast day celebration, one hymn to learn, 3 Maxims to work on as a family!

St Martin’s Day (Martinmas)

While at seminary at St Vladimir’s in Yonkers, NY, my family and I were introduced to the super fun tradition of Martinmas (St Martin’s Day), which is the day we commemorate the life of St Martin of Tours. To this day it is one of my fondest memories of seminary. I loved making paper lanterns together the week before, and then on his feast day, we would gather together to read the story “Snow on Martinmas” by Heather Sleigtholm and then all the kids on campus would illumine their lanterns with tea lights, put on their heavy coats and we would walk around campus singing the St Martin Day carol and “This Little Light of Mine” to all the neighbors. I can still see my tiny little Elizabeth in her stroller holding her lantern as we followed all the kids from house to house. After we made our way around campus, we ended the night with dessert and warm drinks and fellowship. It was a yearly tradition while we attended and I intend to continue that tradition with my children, and perhaps even pass it on to some of you!

Check out this blogpost on St Martin’s Day and learn more about how to organize your own Martinmas Walk!

Want to Listen to the Song of the Month?

Listen to this song on YouTube

Additional Reading

Want to read more about St Martin and the traditions surrounding his feast? We love the picture book “Snow on Martinmas” by Heather Sleightholm. You can purchase it on amazon and have it arrive in time for the feast! We read this every year on his feast day before our lantern walk.

DIY Lanterns for St Martin Walk

If you are interested in making your own lantern, for the sake of simplicity, I suggest using what you already have. Most people have a mason jar, or a clear jar or some sort - old marinara jars, baby jars, peanut butter jars, etc. Using string and hot glue, or even pipe cleaners, you can create a simple handle. Check out this YouTube video on how to make your own:

One final note

I know how overwhelming it can be to try to keep up with the Liturgical calendar. It’s a lot! So my hope is to provide a simple one page guide to help families incorporate some simple and easy activities each month to bring life of the Church into our homes. I've paired down my monthly guides into one “bite sized” print, so you can spend less time figuring out what to do, and spend more time with the ones you love.

Blessings,

Khouria Destinie