Storytime Tapestry E-zine

The newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness throughout the world.

Welcome to Fascinating Facts and Eductional Trivia

A Hartson Dowd Column

November 16, 2007

Fascinating Facts and Educational Trivia:

St. Martin’s Day or Martinmas

  St. Martin's Day (or Martinmas) is November 11, the feast day of Martin of Tours, who started out as a Roman soldier. He was baptized when he was grown up 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.   

Martinmas was the feast of St. Martin of Tours celebrated on November 11. It was immediately followed by the beginning of Advent, 40 days of reflection and penance in preparation for the great feast of Christmas.

      The festivities were similar to those of Carnival, just before Lent, though on a smaller scale. There was much feasting, drinking and playing of games, as well as story telling and sometimes, plays. Cock fights, pig baiting and sport events such as racing, leaping or wrestling were other favourite activities.

      Food was plentiful right after the harvest. Meat, from the autumn slaughter of those animals that it was not possible to house and feed over winter, could be salted or smoked to preserve it, but sausages and other foods made from offal would not last long. They had to be consumed fairly quickly before they spoiled. Since Advent required some fasting, the feast of St. Martin provided a perfect time to put the abundant meat products to good use.

      November 11 also was the day that marked the end of old contracts. Hired help moved on to new positions and there were farewell and welcoming banquets for them.

Irish Celebrations & Feast Days - Martinmas

Ready to scatter the blood of a fresh-killed animal on your threshold and in the four corners of the house?  It’s what they did in old Ireland on November 10th, which is Martinmas - the eve of the feast of St. Martin.

Autumn in Ireland often brings a cold snap followed by some mild, lovely weather. Similar to Indian Summer in the United States, this brief interlude before winter sets in is called Martinmas Summer.

In the old days, as in many countries that were predominantly rural, this time of year was spent in preparation for the hard months ahead. The harvest was in, and depending on how successful the growing season had been farm families were able to estimate how much they would have to feed themselves and their livestock. Inevitably, there were always animals that couldn’t earn their keep; these would be the fowl that didn’t lay eggs, the cattle that didn’t give milk; animals that couldn’t produce offspring, and the ones that, because of youth, age or disability, couldn’t pull their weight.

And then there were the pigs. They’d been feasting all summer and by St. Martin’s Eve, would be plump and full of flavor. In any event, the livestock that could not be wintered over would be sold, given away, or slaughtered to provide the family a supply of meat for winter. Whatever wasn’t used immediately was salted, cured and stored in oak barrels where it would last for many months.

In pre-Christian Ireland, it was the custom to sacrifice an animal on St. Martin’s Eve and then sprinkle drops of its blood on the threshold, as well as in the four corners of the house. This was done to drive off any evil spirits and also to ensure prosperity for the coming year. History tells us that the animal most often selected for this ritual was a pig. Most likely, this was because it was the commonest and smallest of the domestic animals. Whatever was sacrificed, the sacrificial animal was later cooked and provided a hearty meal for the family. If it was a large animal, portions were traditionally shared with those who were less fortunate.  To this day, while the ritual of sprinkling blood may have long died out, it is still customary in Ireland to make a meal of fresh pork on St. Martin’s Eve.

"People will not look forward to posterity who never looks backward to their ancestors."
-Edmund Burke

Flanders, Netherlands, Germany and Austria

The day is celebrated in the evening of November 11 in parts of Flanders and some parts of the Netherlands and most areas of Germany and Austria. Children go by the doors with paper lanterns and candles, and sing songs about St. Martin and about their lantern in return for a treat, very similar to the American tradition of Halloween. Often, a man dressed as St. Martin rides on a horse in front of the procession.

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 a distinct class of believers 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's customary that kids receive gifts later in the year from either Saint Nicholas on December 6 (called Sinterklaas in the Netherlands, which takes places on the evening of the 5th of December) or Santa Claus on December 25.

In some areas, there is a traditional goose meal, in West Flanders there is no specific meal, it's more a day for the kids, 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.

England

In England, the day was called Martinmas (or sometimes Martlemass). 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 a brief warm spell was 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.

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 fruits and sweets associated with this feast, known by the Maltese as Il-Borża ta' San Martin. This bag consists of St. Martin's Bread, walnuts, hazel-nuts, almonds, chestnuts, figs, oranges, tangerines, apples, pomegranates 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 had with the statue of St. Martin leading. There is also a fair for the local animals.

Several places in Malta are named after this feast, such as San Martin on the outskirts of St. Paul's Bay, and Ġebel San Martin outside of Żejtun.

Scotland

In Scotland, Martinmas is one of the Scottish quarter days.

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 in to 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 god father of the wine.  The foods traditionally eaten on the day are goose and almost always home-made or store bought mlinci.

Poland

St. Martin's Day is celebrated in Greater Poland region of Poland - mainly in its capital city Poznań. On this day, people of Poznań buy and eat tons of special made for this occasion croissants, from half-French paste, with white-poppy and dainties, so called Martin Croissants or St. Martin Croissants. Also, Poznanians people celebrate with a feast, specially organized by the city. There are different concerts, a St. Martin's parade and a firework show.

Portugal

In Portugal, St. Martin's Day is celebrated eating roast chestnuts, and drinking a local alcoholic beverage, agua-p?(a watered-down wine).

Historical meaning of Martinmas

Originating in France, the tradition of celebrating Martinmas spread to Germany in the 16th century and later to Scandinavia and the Baltic’s. 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.

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 Mart?n 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.  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  -  The feast of St. Martin, the eleventh of November; often called martlemans.  Martinmas summer, a period of calm, warm weather often experienced about the time of Martinmas; Indian summer.

Origin: St. Martin + mass religious service.

Source: Webster’s Dictionary

Hartson S. Dowd

hsdowd@telus.net