In the weeks leading up to the Lantern Festival, the Kindervilla transformed into a workshop of light. In every group, children were cutting, painting, and crafting. Along the way, they not only learned how beautiful lanterns can be created from simple materials with a bit of patience – they also discovered what it means to create something together and later share it with others.
“Komm’ und zünd’ dein Licht an, damit es jeder sehen kann. Es ist hell und warm und schön. Lass uns zum Laternenfest gehn’. Heute wollen wir dran denken und durchs Teilen Freude schenken. Hand in Hand gehn’ wir nun los. Die Freude ist bei allen groß.“
“Come and light your lantern, let everyone see it shine.
It’s warm and bright and beautiful. Let’s go to the lantern line.
Today we want to think and care,
to bring some joy through what we share.
Hand in hand we start to go,
our happiness begins to glow.”
These lines, which also accompanied our celebration, speak of the same core message:
A light does not diminish when it is shared. On the contrary – it grows.
On the evening of November 11th, families and the Kindervilla team gathered at the Zeughaus in Innsbruck. For Kindervilla, the Lantern Festival is a celebration of community and sharing, open to all families. When the handcrafted lanterns were lit and the children sang their songs in three languages, the very magic we hoped for appeared: many small lights becoming one great, shared glow.
Hand in hand, the children walked through the courtyard—older ones leading the procession with the big star, younger ones proudly following with their lanterns. These moments of shared experience, of giving light and joy during the festive buffet afterward, accompany the children far beyond the evening itself—teaching them that community spirit and generosity enrich us all.
