Germans mark November 11th in entirely different ways.

Needless to say, they do not make much of a big deal about the end of WWI, although nearly every town or village has a memorial to the dead from the war, most of which have had the dead from WWII amended later.

But November 11th is Martinmas, and it is the tradition for the children to hold a lantern-lit procession, often led by someone on horseback dressed as a legionnaire (St. Martin was a roman soldier who is said to have cut his cloak in half to share with a poor, freezing beggar) and often of to a bonfire outside of town.

Then off to a dinner of roast goose.

And for those who are big into celebrating Karneval (Mardi Gras), the 11th of the 11th marks the start of the “fifth season” of parties and celebrations.