Children in various parts of Holland and Belgium will be celebrating their version of Halloween tonight. November 11 is Sint Maarten, known in English as St Martin's Day, and children in some areas of the Netherlands and Belgium will go door-to-door after dark with paper lanterns, singing songs in exchange for candy.
For a blast from the past, watch this video by Polygoon Hollands Nieuws from 11 November, 1961.
Saint Martin (AD 316-397) started out as a Roman soldier but was later baptised and entered holy orders. He is best known for tearing his cloak in half to share with a beggar during a snowstorm, saving the beggar from freezing to death. After leaving the army he became a monk and then a bishop.
Here's some more recent footage of children celebrating St Martin's Day. The story of the beggar and the cloak is still being passed on from generation to generation.
Historically, St Martin's Day was the beginning of 40 days of fasting that later became advent, leading up to Christmas. Today, children sing songs such as this one (though usually hoping for cookies or candy, not healthy hand-outs like fruit!):
Sinte, Sinte Maarten,
De koeien hebben staarten,
Geef een appel of een peer,
Dan kom ik dit jaar niet meer.
Saint, Saint Martin,
The cows have tails,
Give us an apple or a pear,
Then we won't come back this year.
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