Dispute over migration and tradition: Austrian kindergarten replaces St Martin with moon bear

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A kindergarten in St. Pölten is in a state of turmoil. Instead of the traditional St. Martin’s festival, including a procession with self-made lanterns in honour of St. Martin, this year a ‘moon star festival’ is being celebrated. St Martin, according to legend a Roman soldier who shared his cloak with a freezing beggar in the 4th century, is being replaced by the ‘moon bear’ in the Lower Austrian capital.
An idea that has not gone down well with Austrian parents who want to teach their children Christian traditions and values. Now politicians are also getting involved. ‘A moon and star festival instead of a lantern festival in honour of Saint Martin. St Martin is being trampled underfoot,’ says Martin Antauer, a local councillor in St Pölten from the Freedom Party. According to Antauer, the decision by the kindergarten, which is heavily influenced by migrants, was made in ‘anticipatory obedience’. ‘We will certainly not be ashamed of our traditions, as my name is Martin,’ explains Martin Antauer.

The incident is strongly reminiscent of the annual debate about whether St Nicholas should still be allowed to visit our kindergartens. Last year, parents were up in arms about the ban on St Nicholas in a kindergarten in Fels am Wagram (Tulln district), which was decided by the teachers due to consideration for traumatised integrated children. Even Johanna Mikl-Leitner, the governor of the province, spoke out at the time and took sides with St Nicholas. It was only when the mayor responded to the complaints of the Austrian parents that St Nicholas was allowed to visit the kindergarten.

However, it is unlikely that the Austrian parents in St. Pölten will succeed and St. Martin’s Day can still take place. According to an enquiry by the ‘Kronen Zeitung’ newspaper, the responsible department of the state considers the moon bear to be more suitable than St Martin ‘to convey the message of sharing, consideration and friendship to two-year-olds’.

Streit um Migration und Tradition: Kindergarten ersetzt heiligen Martin durch Mondbären | Exxpress

One thought on “Dispute over migration and tradition: Austrian kindergarten replaces St Martin with moon bear”

  1. So typical. It’s bad enough the Islamic fundamentalists demand we conform to their beliefs, but for the local citizens to destroy their own culture so they won’t “offend” the Muslim population? With the holidays upon us, I’m sure there will be many more cases reported by the press. Europe is destroying itself from within.

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