Lantern-making Workshop

St Peter's Church is hosting a free lantern-making workshop on Sunday 8 November, from 2pm to 4pm. They provide all the materials, so you just need to turn up. The church is at the north end of St Peter's Street in St Albans, AL1 3HG.

It's part of a wider set of lantern celebrations the church runs throughout November, which all lead up to the St Albans Lantern Procession on Thursday 12 November, St Martin's Day. That procession follows a German tradition of children making and carrying lanterns through the streets in memory of the story of St Martin, who cut his cloak in half to share with a poor man. The lanterns are meant to remind us of the light he brought to someone living in darkness.

If you make a lantern at the workshop, you can carry it in that procession on the 12th. It takes a short route round local streets before heading back to the church for sparklers and marshmallows by the firepit. There's no charge and no booking needed to take part in the procession, so you can just show up with your lantern. One rule to keep in mind: only electric lights are allowed to light the lanterns, with no naked flames.

St Peter's is a historic Church of England church that also hosts concerts, family activities and community events. The workshop runs from 2pm to 4pm on Sunday 8 November, and it's free.