St. Martin's Day
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St. Martin's Day (or Martinstag or Martinmas) is November 11, the feast day of Martin of Tours, who started out as a Roman soldier. He was baptized as an adult and became a monk. It is understood that he was a kind man who led a quiet and simple life. The most famous legend of his life is that he once cut his cloak in half to share with a beggar during a snowstorm, to save the beggar from dying of the cold. That night he dreamed that Jesus was wearing the half-cloak Martin had given away. Martin heard Jesus say to the angels: "Here is Martin, the Roman soldier who is not baptised; he has clothed me." (Sulpicius, ch 2).
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[edit] Customs
From the late 4th century CE to the late Middle Ages, much of Western Europe, including Great Britain, engaged in a period of fasting beginning on the day after St. Martin's Day, November 11. This fast period lasted 40 days, and was, therefore, called "Quadragesima Sancti Martini", which means in Latin "the forty days of St. Martin." At St. Martin's eve, people ate and drank very heartily for a last time before they started to fast. This fasting time was later called "Advent" by the Church.
Also, in the east part of the Belgian province of East-Flanders and the west part of West Flanders, children receive presents from St. Martin on November 11, instead of from Saint Nicholas on December 6 or Santa Claus on December 25.
Many churches in Europe are named after Saint Martinus, also known as Saint Martin of Tours. St. Martin is the patron saint of Szombathely, with a church dedicated to him, and also the patron saint of Buenos Aires.
In Latin America, he has a strong popular following and is frequently referred to as San Martín Caballero, in reference to his common depiction on horseback.
Though no mention of St. Martin's connection with viticulture is made by Gregory of Tours or other early hagiographers, he is now credited with a prominent role in spreading wine-making throughout the Touraine region and facilitated the planting of many vines. The Greek myth that Aristaeus first discovered the concept of pruning the vines after watching a goat eat some of the foliage has been applied to Martin.[1] He is also credited with introducing the Chenin Blanc grape varietal, from which most of the white wine of western Touraine and Anjou is made.
Martin Luther was purportedly named after St. Martin, as he was baptized on November 11 (St. Martin's Day), 1483.
Martinmas is a male holiday, since it honors a male saint. When men went singing and dancing door-to-door, one of the men was disguised as a woman.
[edit] Celebrations around the world
[edit] Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and Austria
The day is celebrated in the evening of November 11 in Belgium (mainly in the Dutch-speaking Flanders), some parts of the Netherlands and most areas of Germany and Austria. Children go to houses with paper lanterns and candles, and sing songs about St. Martin in return for treats. Often, a man dressed as St. Martin rides on a horse in front of the procession. This tradition is similar to trick-or-treating on Halloween.
In recent years, the lantern processions have become widespread even in Protestant areas of Germany and the Netherlands, despite the fact that most Protestant churches do not recognize saints as distinct from the laity.
Also, in the east part of the Belgian province of West-Flanders, especially around Ypres, children receive presents from St. Martin on November 11. In other areas it is customary that children receive gifts later in the year from either Saint Nicholas on December 5 (called Sinterklaas in the Netherlands) or Santa Claus on December 25.
In some areas, there is a traditional goose meal, although in West Flanders there is no specific meal; it is more a day for children, with toys brought on the night of 10 to 11 November. According to legend, Martin was reluctant to become bishop, which is why he hid in a stable filled with geese. The noise made by the geese betrayed his location to the people who were looking for him.
[edit] United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, St Martin's Day is known as Martinmas (or sometimes Martlemass). It is one of the term days in Scotland.
Martlemass beef was beef from cattle slaughtered at Martinmas and salted or otherwise preserved for the winter. The now largely archaic term "Saint Martin's Summer" referred to the fact that in Britain people often believed there was a brief warm spell common around the time of St.Martin's Day, before the Winter months began in earnest. The more common term in modern English is "Indian Summer".
In Northern Ireland the village and surrounding parish of Desertmartin owes its name to Saint Columba (also referred to as Colmcille) who visited there in the sixth century. He erected a church there as a retreat and named it in honour of Saint Martin. Hence the name in Irish Díseart Mhartain or 'Resting place of Martin'.
In England however, November 11th is better known for being Rememberance day.
[edit] Denmark
In Denmark the day is known as Mortens aften, meaning the night of Morten. The name was changed in Denmark, because the name Martin was associated with Germany, therefore Danes wished to make St. Martin more Danish. The day is celebrated, with traditional dinners, where most people will eat duck for dinner. The reason for this, is one of the myths surrounding St.Martin was that he was to be appointed as Bishop, but he wouldn't accept the nomination, because of his humble heart. He therefor hid in a goose pen, but was discovered when the geese honked. They found him, and he was installed as Bishop. Because he was discovered due to the geese, goose was traditionally the meal eaten on the day, however ducks are more commonly eaten today due to cost.
[edit] Estonia
[edit] Mardipäev (Martinmas)
For centuries, Martinmas has been one of the most important and cherished days in the Estonian folk calendar. It remains popular today, especially among young people and the rural population. Martinmas celebrates the end of the agrarian year and the beginning of the winter period.
[edit] Historical meaning of Mardipäev
Originating in France, the tradition of celebrating Martinmas spread to Germany in the 16th century and later to Scandinavia and the Baltics. In Estonia, Martinmas signifies the merging of Western European customs with the local Balto-Finnic pagan traditions, it also contains elements of earlier worship of the dead as well as certain year-end celebration that predate Christianity.
Martinmas actually has two meanings: in the agricultural calendar it marks the beginning of the natural winter, but in the economic calendar it is seen as the end of autumn. Among Estonians, Martinmas also marks the end of the period of All Souls, as well as the autumn period in the Estonian popular calendar when the souls of the ancestors were worshiped that lasted from November 1 to Martinmas.
Like St. Michael's Day, celebrated on September 29, Martinmas is also known as the celebration that marks the end of field work and the beginning of the harvesting period. Following these holidays, women traditionally moved their work indoors for the winter, while men would proceed to work in the forests.
[edit] Malta
St. Martin's Day (Jum San Martin) in Malta is celebrated on the nearest Sunday to the November 11. On this day, children are given a bag full of fradfuits and sweets associated with this feast, known by the Maltese as Il-Borża ta' San Martin. This bag consists of St. Martin's Bread (Ħobża ta' San Martin), walnuts (ġewż), hazel-nuts (qastan), almonds (lewż), chestnuts (ġellewż), figs (tin), oranges (larinġ), tangerines (mandolin), apples (tuffieħ), pomegranates (rummien) and some other sweets. There is also a Nursery Rhyme associated with the St. Martin's Bag:
Ġewż, Lewż, Qastan, Tin
Kemm inħobbu lil San Martin.
(Walnuts, Almonds, Chestnuts, Figs
I very much love Saint Martin.)
At village of Baħrija on the outskirts of Rabat (Malta), a feast is organized and a procession is held with the statue of St. Martin leading. There is also a faadsfir for the local animals.
Several places in Malta are named after thidafss feast, such as San Martin on the outskirts of St. Paul's Bay, and Ġebel San Martin outside of Żejtun.
[edit] Slovenia, Croatia
In Slovenia and Croatia, St. Martin's Day marks the day when the must traditionally turns to wine. The must is usually considered impure and sinful, until it is baptised and turned into wine. The baptism is performed by someone who dresses up as a bishop and blesses the wine, this is usually done by the host. Another person is chosen as the godfather of the wine.
The foods traditionally eaten on the day are goose and almost always home-made or store bought mlinci.
[edit] Switzerland
Its celebration has mainly remained a tradition in the Catholic Swiss area of Ajoie in the canton of Jura
[edit] Poland
St. Martin's Day is celebrated in Greater Poland region of Poland - mainly in its capital city Poznań. On this day, the people of Poznań buy and eat considerable amounts of croissants, made specially for this occasion from half-French paste with white-poppy and dainties, so-called Martin Croissants or St. Martin Croissants. Poznanians people celebrate with a feast, specially organised by the city. There are different concerts, a St. Martin's parade and a fireworks show.
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[edit] Portugal
In Portugal, St. Martin's Day is commonly associated with the celebration of the maturation of the year's wine, being traditionally the first day when the new wine can be tasted. It is celebrated eating roast chestnuts (sometimes also dry figs and walnuts), and drinking a local light alcoholic beverage, called água-pé (literally "foot water", made by adding water to the pomace left after the juice is pressed out of the grapes for wine - traditionally by stomping on them in vats with bare feet, hence the name - and letting it ferment for several days), or the stronger jeropiga (a sweet liquor obtained in a very similar fashion, when some aguardente is added to the water). Água-pé, though no longer available for sale in supermarkets and similar outlets (it is officially banned for sale in Portugal), is still generally available in small local shops from domestic production.
There is a typical saying in Portugal, related with Saint Martin's Day:
É dia de São Martinho;
comem-se castanhas, prova-se o vinho.
(It is St. Martin's Day,
we'll eat chestnuts, we'll taste the wine.)
This period is also quite popular because of the usual good weather period that occurs in Portugal in this time of year, called Verão de São Martinho (St. Martin's Summer). It is a welcome spell of sunny, warm days that comes after a cold, rainy period, and drives many people (usually teenagers and young adults, but also tourists and some families) to go to the beach.
[edit] Spain
In Spain, St. Martin's Day is the traditional day for slaughtering fattened pigs for the winter. This tradition has given way to the popular saying "A cada cerdo le llega su San Martín", which translates as "Every pig has its St. Martin's day" in English. The phrase is used to indicate that wrongdoers eventually get their comeuppance.
[edit] Czech Republic
A Czech proverb connected with the feast of St.Martin Martin přijíždí na bílém koni (trans. Martin is coming on a white horse) signifies that the first half of November in the Czech Republic is the time when it often starts to snow. There used to be (and still is in some part of the country) a festival (posvícení) with a roast goose as a feast dish.[2]
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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