The Lantern Walk 2019

by Brooke Bignell

“I’m walking with my lantern,

My lantern walks with me”

For the fourth year, the warm glow of hand-crafted lanterns could be seen at ‘The Propeller’. Local children and their parents donned their coats and beanies at twilight, and braved the wind to welcome winter.

Carefully carrying their lanterns, the group made their way from the propeller, past the park, to the new lookout, and up to the trees (to shelter from the wind) to sit in a circle under lantern light and sing the lantern song (among other well known nursery rhymes).

Although winter in Queensland isn’t as harsh as a European winter, the German-born organisers, Lucia Phelan and Corinna Apps, like to share their childhood tradition.

The lantern walk traditionally symbolises the shorter days this time of year, and honours St Martin, by the gesture of sharing with others in need.

Corinna says, “I love to show my kids my heritage with all the German traditions, so Lucia and I decided to organise a lantern walk to share the tradition with our kids and all the other kids and parents in Rainbow Beach.”

For the past three years Corinna and Lucia have held lantern-making workshops at the school, advertised, and with the help of local musical parents and local donations from businesses, have brought together an evening under the stars at the community hall, with hot drinks and food, raffles and the traditional walk up the street.

This year was a smaller gathering, with Lucia moving away, and unable to organise the (bigger) event as years gone by, but it was filled with local parents and kids, who love participating in this beautiful tradition.

“I have vivid lantern walk memories, and it’s one of the traditions I wish my kids could have grown up with just the way I did,” Lucia says.

We’re looking forward to seeing the creative lanterns next year, and maybe indulging in that delicious hot chocolate again!