Saint Martin's Day

Saint Martin's summer

The legend narrates that one night, when Saint Martin was inspecting the guart posts he met a mysterious beggar, who felt very cold because he had only a few rags on. So, the noble Martin took pity on that poor man and offered him an half of his warm military cloak after cutting it with his sword. Martin, a Roman unchristian military, went to rest, and that night he dreamed Jesus, with his suit coat. He was telling the angels the story of the soldier Martino who repaired him with his cloak. When Saint Martin awoke he found the cloak, which he had cut in half, completely intact. After this mystical experience Saint Martin converted, was baptized, and after twenty years of military career, he became Bishop of Tours, where he was acclaimed by its citizens and continued humbly on his pastoral work until the death . His miraculous cloak became a relic and was preserved by the Merovingian kings. From then those who kept the short coat, called "Chapel" was defined chaplain. The widespread presence of good weather that characterizes the mild weather during the days around the first ten days of November, is due, according to the legend, to the will of God to remember the noble act of the Saint.

Martinmas term

The term "Martinmas" has two meanings: in the agricultural calendar it marks the beginning of the natural winter, while in the economic calendar it is seen as the end of autumn.

The feast coincides not only with the end of the Octave of All Saints, but with harvest-time, the time when newly produced wine is ready in order to be drank, and the end of winter preparations, including the butchering of animals. (An old English saying is "His Martinmas will come as it does to every hog," meaning "he will get his comeuppance" or "everybody must die".) Because of this, St. Martin's Day is like the American Thanksgiving - a celebration of the earth's bounty.

It also comes before the season of Advent, so it is seen as a mini "carnivale", with all the bonfires.

As at Michaelmas on 29 September, goose is eaten in most places. During the days following these holidays, women traditionally moved their work indoors for the winter, while men would proceed to work in the forests.

In some countries Martinmas celebrations begin at the eleventh minute of the eleventh hour of this eleventh day of the eleventh month (that is, at 11:11 a.m. on the 11^th of November) while in others, the festivities begins on St. Martin's Eve (that is on the 10^th of November). Bonfires are built and children carry lanterns in the streets after dark, singing songs and rewarded with candy.