Liturgical Year : Activities : Martinmas Traditions | Catholic Culture Martin of Tours; Veterans Day (USA) Seasons (0) St. Martin of Tours is another large harvest day, particularly tied in with the harvest of grapes in France. His feast is also known as "Martinmas." Recipes included is haggis and almond horseshoe cakes. DIRECTIONS Now that we have eaten fish for St. Peter and mutton for St. Bartholomew and pig for St. Michael, it might be well to finish with the other remaining fall harvest feasts. Three more days were set aside in November for completing the winter work of preparing provisions of meat and drink. Each day was placed under the care and patronage of a very masculine and saintly gentleman. St. Martin's Day on November 11 was celebrated from north to south and back again. Few saints have been so popular. He was patron of the world. From the ice-bound coves of north Scotland to the vine-covered slopes of south Sicily, St. Martin was beloved by all. First he was patron of vine-growers, vintners and tavern-keepers, so his day was the day of wine harvest.

If you have ever made wine and watched the beautiful purple juice turn to milky ferment, you wonder if it would not have been wiser to just make grape juice. Slowly the rising bubbles and the falling dregs clarify the keg. But you must wait until St. Martin's day to taste your new wine. St. Martin had shared his cloak with a drunkard and thus recognized Christ in one of "these least" ones. In remembrance of his charity, share your new wine with your neighbors and have a holiday; but remember this and every day is the day to "taste" the new wine, not to "guzzle" it. Since St. Martin was generous to the beggar, this is also the feast day of beggars. For this reason, the children of Estonia beg goodies from door to door. Our American children would delight in the apples, cookies and nuts which the Estonian housewife gives her little beggars, but how many of our "finicky" young fry would rejoice in receiving a turnip? Yet this is the most-prized donation. When we read this story of a far-away land to our family, they were strangely silent.

We who live in a climate blessed with warm days in the mid of winter have to stop to even imagine whole months of zero weather. Our roads are open and each one leads to a store or market where garden fresh vegetables seem to grow on the counters. Our cellars have a freezer—a miracle box, where fresh fruits and vegetables are frozen and yet not blackened. If turnips were your only winter vegetable, and a scarce one at that, you would be grateful to have a turnip in your beggar's sack. We noticed that Ann ate her "hated" sweet potatoes without a word on the following day. Mary cleaned her plate of customary scraps. We all said our thanksgiving after meals with more devotion. St. Martin's Day was, you remember, the feast after the great winter killing. All the special products of the slaughter were used as feast day specials. The large animals like oxen and cows were not killed until cold weather, so Martinmas was a great meat-eating time. There was once a legend that St. Martin was martyred by being cut up and eaten in the form of an ox. As a result, whole oxen were roasted for a community feast after every one had helped with the butchering.

Cooperation and neighborliness was a necessity. As the old cantankerous farmer declared, "I can't afford to quarrel with my neighbors, I need them too often." One ox was often killed for St. Martin and the meat given to his poor. Pudding was the first dish which gathered the by-products of butchering and made of them a gourmet's delight. It fell about the Martinmas time, And a gay time it was then O That our gudewife had puddings to make, And she boiled them in the pan O. There were blood puddings and suet puddings and black puddings and white puddings. All sorts of meal was used as the base, from the simple oatmeal used in Scotland to a meal called Viljandikama in Estonia. This latter included as many as fifteen kinds of grain and dried vegetables ground together. I have a suspicion that the people of Viljandi were just showing off their fine harvests by putting samples of everything in the pudding. A second special for Martinmas was Black Soup or Svartsoppa. Certain localities, like south Sweden and parts of Denmark, always served goose on this feast day, but the scraps and rejects were first made into a wonderful soup.

The wings, neck, liver and blood of the goose were cooked into a broth rich in vitamins and minerals. A little wine and brandy were added for zest and tang. The ultimate in making much of nothing was achieved by centuries of Scotch cooks when they created their famous Haggis. In fact, this dish was prized so highly that it has been called the national dish of Scotland. We have never made a Haggis in our house, but come next Martinmas we will be tempted to try it. The word Haggis comes from an old derivative meaning to hack or chop. Don't "you look down wi' sneerin' scornfu' view on sic a dinner." By this time of the year you may be enjoying "St. Martin's summer," now known as Indian summer; but if the snowflakes are falling, the children will come running. "Remember, mother, you are expecting a guest for dinner. St. Martin comes in the snow, you know, on his snow white horse just when you least expect him. Bake some almond horseshoe cakes for his horse and he will bless you for it. Let us help.

We know how." Activity Source: Cooking for Christ by Florence Berger, National Catholic Rural Life Conference, 4625 Beaver Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50310, 1949, 1999 Stay in Touch! Martinmas | Article about Martinmas by The Free Dictionary Martinmas | Article about Martinmas by The Free Dictionary Related to Martinmas: Martinmas summer Martinmas the feast of St Martin on Nov. 11; one of the four quarter days in Scotland Martinmas Funkentag, Martinalia, Martinsfest, Martinstag, St. Martin's Day Martinmas, or St. Martin's Day, falls on November 11. This Christian feast day honors St. Martin of Tours (c. 316-397 the popular customs that have been associated with it over the centuries resemble those connected to a much earlier pagan autumn festival. In medieval Europe, the arrival of Martinmas signaled the beginning of winter. In early medieval times, the festival marked the beginning of Advent in some parts of Europe. Life and Legends of St. Martin Born into a pagan family in Hungary in the late fourth century St. Martin became interested in Christianity and a monastic life at an early age.

His military father forced him to become a soldier, however. Many tales about the saint's life illustrate his generosity. In the most famous of these, Martin, while stationed in Amiens, France, as a soldier, encountered a beggar shivering miserably in the cold. Martin quickly removed his cloak, cut it in half with his sword, and covered the beggar with the cloth. That night Jesus appeared to Martin in a vision declaring, "Martin the catechumen hath clothed me in this garment." Shortly afterwards Martin was baptized. At the age of forty he left the army and began a life of religious devotion. He was elected bishop of Tours in 371 One legend tells that when the retiring saint heard the news of his election, he was so flustered that he ran away and hid in a barn, but the squawking of a goose soon announced his presence. The goose thereafter became a symbol of the saint. As bishop of Tours, Martin gained a reputation for religious fervor by converting his entire diocese to the new religion of Christianity and replacing the pagan temples with Christian churches. St. Martin eventually became one of the most popular saints of the medieval era.

Precedents In pre-Christian times the Germanic peoples of north-central Europe celebrated a great autumn festival. As pastures thinned with the coming of cold weather, they slaughtered the animals that could not be kept alive and preserved most of their meat for the winter. At this time the people gathered together, feasted on fresh meat, and drank. They may also have honored the dead and lit ceremonial bonfires at these celebrations. This festival probably marked the end of the old year and the beginning of the new year in pre-Christian times. According to several scholars, some of the customs associated with medieval Yule celebrations were actually transferred to that season from earlier celebrations of this great autumn festival. At least one researcher has identified the date of this ancient Germanic new year festival as November 11 or 12. History The Christian festival of Martinmas developed in the several hundred years that followed the saint's death in the late fourth century. In 490 A . D . Bishop Perpetuus of Tours called for a forty-day period of partial fasting in preparation for Christmas. This period began on November 11, a day already associated with the veneration of St. Martin, and was known as the "Forty Days' Fast of St.

Martin," or "St. Martin's Lent." In later times these weeks of spiritual preparation for Christmas came to be called Advent. Pope Martin I (d. 655) established Martinmas as a great Church festival. He may have been attempting to provide a Christian rationale for the celebrations that pagan northern Europeans still held around this time of the year. In the Middle Ages some referred to Martinmas by the Latin name Martinalia. The customs associated with medieval celebrations of Martinmas closely resemble those connected with earlier pagan celebrations. In the Middle Ages the feast of Martinmas marked the beginning of winter. Customs in some regions suggest that it may have been treated as a kind of new year as well. In areas of England, France, and Germany, leases ended at Martinmas, rents were due, and servants left households in search of new employment. In his eighthcentury chronicles, St. Bede (c. 672-735) noted that the Anglo-Saxon term for November was Blot Monath, or "Blood Month," in reference to the customary slaughtering of animals that took place during that month.

Not only did this old custom attach itself firmly to Martinmas, but so also did the feasting and drinking of earlier November celebrations. In medieval times Martinmas may have served as a kind of thanksgiving festival during which the people rejoiced at the close of the harvest and their full barns and larders. In Germany St. Martin became the patron saint of the harvest, as well as the champion of the poor. The sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation created a new rationale for this traditional November festival. Rather than forbid the celebration of the day because it venerated a Roman Catholic saint, Protestant authorities dedicated the celebrations to Martin Luther, the German founder of the Protestant movement who was born on November 10, 1483. In some areas of Germany the celebrations were shifted to November 10; in others the people continued to celebrate on November 11 in the belief that the Protestant reformer was baptized on that day. In Germany the holiday acquired the name Mar-tinsfest or Martinstag, meaning "Martin's Festival" or "Martin's Day." Martinmas Fires In Germany and the Netherlands, great bonfires roared on Martinmas or Martinmas Eve in past times.

In the fifteenth century, the festival acquired the nickname Funkentag (Spark Day) in Germany, due to the many fires that blazed in honor of the occasion. In the centuries that followed, people in Austria, Germany, Denmark, and Belgium, also participated in lantern parades on Martinmas Eve, marching through the darkened streets of town with lanterns or jack-o'-lanterns fashioned out of turnips or pumpkins. Martinmas Feasts The central and enduring customs of Martinmas feature the preparation and consumption of meat and drink. The date at which the holiday falls in the agricultural cycle anchored these customs to it. In Britain the customary slaughter of cattle on Martinmas produced "Martlemas Beef," the salted and dried meat that sustained people throughout the lean winter months. In Germany, Denmark, Ireland, and Scandinavia goose became the traditional Martinmas feast, perhaps in reference to the Christian legend connecting the saint with a goose. Another possible explanation for this association between Martinmas and geese arises from an old German agricultural custom; in past centuries people fattened geese for the fall season, when they could be used to pay the taxes due on Martinmas. Not every European country favored roast goose for their Martinmas feast, however.

In Portugal the traditional St. Martin's Day feast featured roast pig. According to old German and Italian traditions, the year's new wines were sampled for the first time on Martinmas. People who got drunk on Martinmas were often called "Martinmen," as were people given to spending their money on short-lived good times. Indeed, so important was this association between Martinmas and wine that St. Martin became the patron saint of tavernkeepers, wine makers, and drunkards. Indulging in large quantities of meat and drink persists as a perennial feature of the holiday. In France the upset stomach that often follows the consumption of too much food and drink is known as mal de Saint Martin, or "Saint Martin's sickness." St. Martin's Day is still observed in Europe with traditional festive meals, most commonly of roast goose. Martinmas Folklore Long after pagan European religions disappeared, early November retained its association with the commemoration of the dead. Old Scottish and Irish folk beliefs declared that the ghosts of the dead returned to their old homes on Martinmas. In the twentieth century, the festivals of early November still link the season to the remembrance of the dead.

On November 5, Guy Fawkes Day, the British commemorate the capture and execution of a group of men who tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament. In Britain and North America many celebrate October 31 as Halloween, a folk festival associated with spirits of the dead. Christians in many countries observe All Saints' Day on November 1 and All Souls' Day on November 2. Even the secular calendar retains November 11 as a date sacred to the memory of the dead. After World War I, November 11 was established as Armistice Day and dedicated to the memory of the soldiers who died in that war. (In Britain and Canada the day is known as Remembrance Day). In 1954 Armistice Day became Veterans Day in the United States, and its purpose broadened to include the recognition of all those who have served in the United States armed forces. In some European countries St. Martin became a gift-bearing folk figure, much like St. Nicholas. He was often depicted as a bishop garbed in red robes riding a white horse. In Belgium and other European countries he distributes sweets to well-behaved children on St. Martin's Eve, but badly behaved youngsters may receive a rod instead.

A variety of folk beliefs and sayings link Martinmas with the weather. In Europe the temperate days that often surround Martinmas may be referred to as "St. Martin's Summer." Legend has it that God first sent mild weather at this time of year to shield St. Martin from the cold, since he had just given half of his cloak to a beggar. An English folk belief suggests that if Martinmas is mild, the coming winter will be severe, whereas if frost occurs before Martinmas, the winter will be gentle. Martinmas in Contemporary Germany In the twentieth century Martinmas Eve fires still blazed along the banks of the Rhine and Moselle rivers in Germany. Although fire safety has become an issue in recent decades, the fires burn on in some parts of Germany. Excited children collect cardboard, tree branches, and other tinder for weeks in anticipation of the event. Lantern parades continue to be celebrated in Germany, although they have become primarily a children's custom. Children fashion elaborate lanterns from paper or recreate the traditional turnip lanterns. The finished lanterns dangle from a wooden pole. In some areas the lantern processions end with a reenactment of St.

Martin's most famous deed, sharing his cloak with a beggar. Afterwards the children disperse, singing songs (Martinslieder) and reciting rhymes for neighbors and shopkeepers. In return, they are given small gifts (Martinswecken), such as nuts, candies, apples, cookies, and coins. Further Reading Christmas in Germany. Second edition. Lincolnwood, Ill.: Passport Books, 1995. Hole, Christina. British Folk Customs. London, England: Hutchinson and Company, 1976. Leach, Maria, ed. Funk and Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythol-ogy, and Legend. New York: Harper and Row, 1984. MacDonald, Margaret Read, ed. The Folklore of World Holidays. Detroit, Mich.: Gale Research, 1992. Russ, Jennifer M. German Festivals and Customs. London, England: Oswald Wolff, 1982. Spicer, Dorothy Gladys. Festivals of Western Europe. 1958. Reprint. Detroit, Mich.: Omnigraphics, 1994. Thompson, Sue Ellen, ed. Holiday Symbols.

Detroit, Mich.: Omnigraphics, 1998. Tille, Alexander. Yule and Christmas: Their Place in the Germanic Year. London, England: David Nutt, 1899. Urlin, Ethel L. Festivals, Holy Days, and Saints' Days. 1915. Reprint. Detroit, Mich.: Omnigraphics, 1992. Martinmas Type of Holiday: Religious (Christian), Folkloric Date of Observation: November 11 Where Celebrated: British Isles, Scandinavia, Western Europe Symbols and Customs: Bonfires, Goose, Rod ORIGINS Martinmas is part of the religious tradition of Christianity. The word Christian refers to a follower of Christ, a title derived from the Greek word meaning Messiah or Anointed One. The Christ of Christianity is Jesus of Nazareth, a man born between 7 and 4 B . C . E . in the region of Palestine. According to Christian teaching, Jesus was killed by Roman authorities using a form of execution called crucifixion (a term meaning he was nailed to a cross and hung from it until he died) in about the year 30 C . E .

After his death, he rose back to life. His death and resurrection provide a way by which people can be reconciled with God. In remembrance of Jesus' death and resurrection, the cross serves as a fundamental symbol in Christianity. With nearly two billion believers in countries around the globe, Christianity is the largest of the world's religions. There is no one central authority for all of Christianity. The pope (the bishop of Rome) is the authority for the Roman Catholic Church, but other sects look to other authorities. Orthodox communities look to patriarchs and emphasize doctrinal agreement and traditional practice. Protestant communities focus on individual conscience. The Roman Catholic and Protestant churches are often referred to as the Western Church, while the Orthodox churches may also be called the Eastern Church. All three main branches of Christianity acknowledge the authority of Christian scriptures, a compilation of writings assembled into a document called the Bible. Methods of biblical interpretation vary among the different Christian sects. Martinmas is the popular name for the feast day of St. Martin of Tours (316-397 C . E .), the patron saint of France. Pope Martin I (649-654 C .

E .) made it a great church festival, probably in an attempt to Christianize the old Teutonic custom of slaughtering animals in mid-November because they couldn't be kept alive throughout the long winter. During the Middle Ages, November 11 was regarded as both the beginning of the year and the beginning of winter, a time when rents for pastures were paid and farm servants changed jobs. It was called the Martinalia because it took the place of the Vinalia or vintage feast of ancient Rome and was observed by opening the first cask of the year's vintage. In addition to giving thanks for the new wine, Martinmas was also a day of thanksgiving for the harvest. For rural people, Martinmas came at a happy time of year: The crops were in, the new wine was ready, the animals had been slaughtered, and it was time to relax. Not surprisingly, St. Martin became the patron saint of tavern keepers, wine-growers, and drunkards. The Feast of St. Martin is still observed as a harvest festival in Scandinavia and rural parts of Europe, with roast GOOSE being the traditional dish of the harvest feast.

Over the centuries, Martinmas has shifted from a religious feast to a folk festival. In Belgium and other western European countries, St. Martin's role is much like that of St. Nicholas. He appears dressed as a bishop in red robes, riding on a white horse. To children who have behaved well, he throws apples, nuts, and cakes; an ill-behaved child receives a ROD . Sometimes children fill their stockings with hay for St. Martin's horse and find them full of gifts the next morning. Martinmas is also associated with the weather. In fact, the mild weather that often occurs in Europe in early November is referred to as "St. Martin's summer"- much like Indian summer in the United States. This goes back to an old legend that says St. Martin cut his cloak in two and gave half to a beggar who was nearly frozen with the cold. God sent warm weather so that the saint would be comfortable until he was able to find another cloak. SYMBOLS AND CUSTOMS Bonfires The bonfires that can still be seen in Belgium, Holland, and parts of Germany on St.

Martin's Day (or the night before) can be traced back to pagan times, when they were lit to ward off evil spirits and promote fertility. During the fifteenth century, so many fires were lit in Germany on this day that the festival was called Funkentag (Spark Day). In northwestern Germany today, the fire is often contained in lanterns made of paper or carved-out turnips (see HALLOWEEN), carried through the streets by processions of children on St. Martin's Eve. Jumping over lighted candles set in the floor is another popular German fire custom. Elsewhere, young people dance around bonfires and leap through the flames. Later, the ashes are scattered over the fields to make them fertile. Goose As mentioned above, mid-November was the season for slaughtering farm animals among the Teutonic peoples. In fact, the original Anglo-Saxon name for November was Blot-monath or "blood month," associated not only with animal sacrifices but with feasting on meat. The tradition of slaughter has been preserved in the British custom of killing cattle on St. Martin's Day-referred to as "Martlemas beef"-and in the German custom of eating "St. Martin's Goose." Why goose?

According to an old legend, when St. Martin heard that he had been elected Bishop of Tours, the thought so intimidated him that he hid in a barn. But a goose found him there and made such a racket that his whereabouts were soon discovered. In Denmark, a goose is eaten for the Martinmas meal and then its breastbone is examined for clues regarding the approaching winter. A very white bone is a sign of snow, while brown means extreme cold. In parts of Ireland, it was common in the nineteenth century to kill an animal on Martinmas and sprinkle its blood over the threshold. Neglecting this custom- which may have been a holdover from the old Celtic festival of SAMHAIN- would bring bad luck. Rod In Bavaria and Austria, a gerte or rod is associated with St. Martin's Day. Used to promote fertility among cattle and prosperity in general, the rods are given to farmers, to be used in the springtime when they drive the cattle out to pasture for the first time. In Bavaria, the rods are made from birch boughs with all the leaves and twigs stripped off-except at the top, where oak leaves and juniper twigs are fastened.

Flogging is common in folk rituals, and in this case its purpose is to drive away evil influences and transfer the life-giving virtues of the tree from which the rod is made. There is some connection between the custom of flogging and St. Martin's role as a European Santa Claus. In Antwerp, Belgium, St. Martin throws down rods for naughty children as well as nuts and apples for good ones-just as Santa Claus leaves gifts for good children and a lump of coal for those who have misbehaved. In ancient times, beating someone didn't have the negative connotations it has today, but was instead a positive gesture meant to bestow virtue and vitality. In any case, it is interesting to note that so many pagan customs have gathered about the festival of a Christian saint. FURTHER READING Harper, Howard V. Days and Customs of All Faiths. 1957. Reprint. Detroit: Omnigraphics, 1990. Henderson, Helene, ed. Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations of the World Dictionary. 3rd ed. Detroit: Omnigraphics, 2005. Miles, Clement A. Christmas in Ritual and Tradition, Christian and Pagan.

1912. Reprint. Detroit: Omnigraphics, 1990. Pike, Royston. Round the Year with the World's Religions. 1950. Reprint. Detroit: Omnigraphics, 1992. Purdy, Susan. Festivals for You to Celebrate. Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1969. Urlin, Ethel L. Festivals, Holy Days, and Saints' Days. 1915. Reprint. Detroit: Omnigraphics, 1992. Weiser, Franz Xaver. Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs. New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1958. WEB SITE Irish Culture and Customs Martinmas November 11 This is the feast day of St. Martin of Tours (c. 316-397), one of the most popular saints of the Middle Ages. It is said that when he heard that he had been elected bishop of Tours, he hid himself in a barn. A squawking goose gave away his hiding place, and the day is still celebrated with roast goose dinners. Another popular legend involves St.

Martin's cloak, which he divided with his sword, giving half to a shivering beggar. In Germany and northern Europe, Roman Catholics commemorate St. Martin while Protestants commemorate Martin Luther's baptismal day ( see Martinsfest). For rural people, Martinmas comes at a happy time of year: the crops are in, the animals have been slaughtered, the new wine is ready, and the hard work of summer and autumn is over. It's no surprise, then, that St. Martin is the patron saint of tavern keepers, wine-growers, and drunkards. There is a good deal of weather lore associated with this day. Spells of mild autumn weather that Americans refer to as "Indian summer" are called "St. Martin's summer" or "a Martinmas summer" in Europe and England. It was once a Quarter Day. Nowadays, in England, this day is more remembered as Armistice Day ( see Veterans Day). In Belgium, where it is called Sint Maartens Dag, St. Martin's Day is a favorite holiday among children. Like St. Nicholas, St. Martin visits them on the feast day eve bringing them gifts.

On November 11 apples and nuts are tossed into children's rooms while they stand with their faces turned to the wall. Gauffres, little waffle cakes, are particularly popular on St. Martin's Day. This day is also an important festival in the Netherlands. There it is known as Beggar's Day, and boys and girls serenade their neighbors and beg for goodies. In many towns the children light a bonfire and dance and shout around it. Then they march in processions with lanterns made from scooped-out turnips, carrots, or beets. In other European countries, St. Martin's Day is regarded as a time to give thanks for the harvest and is often observed with feasting. Goose is the traditional meal. In Sweden, November 11 is known as Martin's Goose Day ( Marten Gas ). In France, mal de Saint Martin (St. Martin's sickness) is the name given to the upset stomach that often follows overindulgence. There is also an impressive ceremony at St. Martin's shrine in Tours on this day. See also Huerigen Parties; Quadrilles of San Martin; St.

Martin's Day in Portugal CONTACTS: Martinmas - Christmas Celebrations and New Year’s Celebrations Published: 17-03-2010, 15:09 Tweet Martinmas Martinmas, or St. Martin’s Day, falls on November 11. This Christian feast day honors St. Martin of Tours (c. 316-397 A.D.), but many of the popular customs that have been associated with it over the centuries resemble those connected to a much earlier pagan autumn festival. In medieval EUROPE , the arrival of Martinmas signaled the beginning of winter. In early medieval times, the festival marked the beginning of Advent in some parts of Europe. LIFE AND LEGENDS OF ST. MARTIN Born into a pagan family in Hungary in the late fourth century A.D., St. Martin became interested in Christianity and a monastic life at an early age. His military father forced him to become a soldier, however. Many tales about the saint’s life illustrate his generosity. In the most famous of these, Martin, while stationed in Amiens, FRANCE , as a soldier, encountered a beggar shivering miserably in the cold.

Martin quickly removed his cloak, cut it in half with his sword, and covered the beggar with the cloth. That night JESUS appeared to Martin in a vision declaring, “Martin the catechumen hath clothed me in this garment.” Shortly afterwards Martin was baptized. At the age of forty he left the army and began a life of religious devotion. He was elected bishop of Tours in 371 A.D. One legend tells that when the retiring saint heard the news of his election, he was so flustered that he ran away and hid in a barn, but the squawking of a goose soon announced his presence. The goose thereafter became a symbol of the saint. As bishop of Tours, Martin gained a reputation for religious fervor by converting his entire diocese to the new religion of Christianity and replacing the pagan temples with Christian churches. St. Martin eventually became one of the most popular saints of the medieval era. PRECEDENTS In pre-Christian times the Germanic peoples of north-central Eu-rope celebrated a great autumn festival. As pastures thinned with the coming of cold weather, they slaughtered the animals that could not be kept alive and preserved most of their meat for the winter.

At this time the people gathered together, feasted on fresh meat, and drank. They may also have honored the dead and lit ceremonial bonfires at these celebrations. This festival probably marked the end of the old year and the beginning of the new year in pre-Christian times. According to several scholars, some of the customs associated with medieval YULE celebrations were actually transferred to that season from earlier celebrations of this great autumn festival. At least one researcher has identified the date of this ancient Germanic new year festival as November 11 or 12. HISTORY The Christian festival of Martinmas developed in the several hun-dred years that followed the saint’s death in the late fourth century. In 490 A.D. Bishop Perpetuus of Tours called for a forty-day period of partial fasting in preparation for Christmas. This period began on November 11, a day already associated with the veneration of St. Martin, and was known as the “Forty Days’ Fast of St. Martin,” or “St. Martin’s Lent.” In later times these weeks of spiritual preparation for Christmas came to be called Advent. Pope Martin I (d. 655) established Martinmas as a great Church festival.

He may have been attempting to provide a Christian rationale for the celebrations that pagan northern Europeans still held around this time of the year. In the Middle Ages some referred to Martinmas by the Latin name Martinalia. The customs associated with medieval celebrations of Martinmas closely resemble those connected with earlier pagan celebrations. In the Middle Ages the feast of Martinmas marked the beginning of winter. Customs in some regions suggest that it may have been treated as a kind of new year as well. In areas of ENGLAND , France, and GERMANY , leases ended at Martinmas, rents were due, and servants left households in search of new employment. In his eighth-century chronicles, St. Bede (c. 672-735) noted that the Anglo-Saxon term for November was Blot Monath, or “Blood Month,” in reference to the customary slaughtering of animals that took place during that month. Not only did this old custom attach itself firmly to Martinmas, but so also did the feasting and drinking of earlier November celebrations. In medieval times Martinmas may have served as a kind of thanksgiving festival during which the people rejoiced at the close of the harvest and their full barns and larders.

In Germany St. Martin became the patron saint of the harvest, as well as the champion of the poor. The sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation created a new rationale for this traditional November festival. Rather than forbid the celebration of the day because it venerated a Roman Catholic saint, Protestant authorities dedicated the celebrations to Martin Luther, the German founder of the Protestant movement who was born on November 10,1483. In some areas of Germany the celebrations were shifted to November 10; in others the people continued to celebrate on November 11 in the belief that the Protestant reformer was baptized on that day. In Germany the holiday acquired the name Mar-tinsfest or Martinstag, meaning “Martin’s Festival” or “Martin’s Day.” MARTINMAS FIRES In Germany and the Netherlands, great bonfires roared on Martinmas or Martinmas Eve in past times. In the fifteenth century, the festival acquired the nickname Funkentag (Spark Day) in Germany, due to the many fires that blazed in honor of the occasion.

In the centuries that followed, people in Austria, Germany, DENMARK , and Belgium, also participated in lantern parades on Martinmas Eve, marching through the darkened streets of town with lanterns or jack-o’-lanterns fashioned out of turnips or pumpkins. MARTINMAS FEASTS The central and enduring customs of Martinmas feature the preparation and consumption of meat and drink. The date at which the holiday falls in the agricultural cycle anchored these customs to it. In Britain the customary slaughter of cattle on Martinmas produced “Martlemas Beef,” the salted and dried meat that sustained people throughout the lean winter months. In Germany, Denmark, IRELAND , and Scandinavia goose became the traditional Martinmas feast, perhaps in reference to the Christian legend connecting the saint with a goose. Another possible explanation for this association between Martinmas and geese arises from an old German agricultural custom; in past centuries people fattened geese for the fall season, when they could be used to pay the taxes due on Martinmas. Not every European country favored roast goose for their Martinmas feast, however. In Portugal the traditional St. Martin’s Day feast featured roast pig.

According to old German and Italian traditions, the year’s new wines were sampled for the first time on Martinmas. People who got drunk on Martinmas were often called “Martinmen,” as were people given to spending their money on short-lived good times. Indeed, so important was this association between Martinmas and wine that St. Martin became the patron saint of tavernkeepers, wine makers, and drunkards. Indulging in large quantities of meat and drink persists as a perennial feature of the holiday. In France the upset stomach that often follows the consumption of too much food and drink is known as mal de Saint Martin, or “Saint Martin’s sickness.” St. Martin’s Day is still observed in Europe with traditional festive meals, most commonly of roast goose. MARTINMAS FOLKLORE Long after pagan European religions disappeared, early November retained its association with the commemoration of the dead. Old Scottish and Irish folk beliefs declared that the ghosts of the dead returned to their old homes on Martinmas. In the twentieth century, the festivals of early November still link the season to the remembrance of the dead.

On November 5, Guy Fawkes Day, the British commemorate the capture and execution of a group of men who tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament. In Britain and North America many celebrate October 31 as Halloween, a folk festival associated with spirits of the dead. Christians in many countries observe All Saints’ Day on November 1 and All Souls’ Day on November 2. Even the secular calendar retains November 11 as a date sacred to the memory of the dead. After World War I, November 11 was established as Armistice Day and dedicated to the memory of the soldiers who died in that war. (In Britain and Canada the day is known as Remembrance Day). In 1954 Armistice Day became Veterans Day in the United States, and its purpose broadened to include the recognition of all those who have served in the United States armed forces. In some European countries St. Martin became a gift-bearing folk figure, much like ST. NICHOLAS . He was often depicted as a bishop garbed in red robes riding a white horse. In Belgium and other European countries he distributes sweets to well-behaved children on St. Martin’s Eve, but badly behaved youngsters may receive a rod instead.

A variety of folk beliefs and sayings link Martinmas with the weather. In Europe the temperate days that often surround Martinmas may be referred to as “St. Martin’s Summer.” Legend has it that God first sent mild weather at this time of year to shield St. Martin from the cold, since he had just given half of his cloak to a beggar. An English folk belief suggests that if Martinmas is mild, the coming winter will be severe, whereas if frost occurs before Martinmas, the winter will be gentle. MARTINMAS IN CONTEMPORARY GERMANY In the twentieth century Martinmas Eve fires still blazed along the banks of the Rhine and Moselle rivers in Germany. Although fire safety has become an issue in recent decades, the fires burn on in some parts of Germany. Excited children collect cardboard, tree branches, and other tinder for weeks in anticipation of the event. Lantern parades continue to be celebrated in Germany, although they have become primarily a children’s custom. Children fashion elaborate lanterns from paper or recreate the traditional turnip lanterns. The finished lanterns dangle from a wooden pole. In some areas the lantern processions end with a reenactment of St.

Martin’s most famous deed, sharing his cloak with a beggar. Afterwards the children disperse, singing songs (Martinslieder) and reciting rhymes for neighbors and shopkeepers. In return, they are given small GIFTS (Martinswecken), such as nuts, candies, apples, cookies, and coins. Martinmas - Feast of St. Martin of Tours Martinmas - Feast of St. Martin of Tours at Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church Veterans Day - November 11, 2011 ( Flash Player required) Martinmas is the 11th day of the 11th month of the year, and it is the feast of St. Martin of Tours: a man who lead a simple and exemplary life, and who was the first saint to be recognized as a saint (after the apostolic times) who was not a martyr. He was a tireless pastor of souls who brought the Gospel to a rural people, and of him it was said he feared neither life nor death. November 11th is the memorial of the patron saint of soldiers, Saint Martin of Tours, and it is also the historic date for Armistice Day (the original date for Veterans Day).

Presentation of Colors by Boy Scout Flag Detail and Message by Father Charles A. Byrd in video below. For more information on Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church, visit their website . Martinmas | Book of Days Book of Days Martinmas Here in the United States, November 11 is Veterans Day,a national holiday honoring all who have served in the military. Older folks remember it as Armistice Day, which began as a commemoration of the formal ending of World War I, or the Great War, as it was known before World War II. It was to be the war to end all wars…. which, of course, has not been the case. Still, the armistice that ended that war, signed at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918, is, in countries on both sides of the Atlantic, remembered today. In 1954, Congress replaced the word “Armistice” with “Veterans,” and this is the name we have given this national holiday ever since. The day marks a much older celebration, though. November 11 is the feast of St. Martin of Tours, who also happened to be a veteran, but of the Roman army.

He was born in 316 in the part of the vast Roman Empire that is now Hungary and became a soldier when he was a young boy. He was part of the imperial calvary (which is why he is often depicted on horseback) and was sent to serve the empire in Gaul (which is now France). At some point, though, Martin had a change of heart: he converted to Christianity and became a pacifist and refused to fight. He was imprisoned for the pacifism he preached, but eventually was released. He became a monk and founded a monastery there in France. Many of the legends that revolve around St. Martin happen to involve wine. The best known story is of him coming across a disheveled drunken man shivering in the cold on a bitter winter’s day; Martin saw the man, took off his own woolen cape, cut it in two with his sword, then wrapped one half around the cold man to warm him. In the Middle Ages, he was one of the more popular saints and became a patron saint of all kinds of folks, from tailors to innkeepers to the French monarchy… but perhaps St.

Martin is best known as patron saint of grape growers and winemakers, and even of those who delight in wine (sometimes even of drunkards). It is no wonder, then, that St. Martin’s Day, or Martinmas, has become associated with wine. It is the day to taste the year’s new wine, which has been fermenting by now for only a few weeks. French Beaujolais wines are still, to this day, released on or around Martinmas. His day is also the last big religious feast day before Advent, which was, in earlier days, a time of fasting, and so it was also a day for a good, hearty meal, often of goose or turkey––essentially, a meal of thanksgiving for the harvest. Traditional Martinmas foods include goose and turkey, and also chestnuts and very hard biscotti, some of which are baked not just twice but three times. Hard as rocks? You bet. But there’s a reason for that: Biscotti di San Martino are meant to be dunked in that new wine that we’re drinking on his day. In the parts of Europe that most thoroughly celebrate St.

Martin’s Day, it is often a time of warmer weather, the last bit of it before the full onset of winter. Kind of like Indian Summer in America, it’s known in Italy, for instance, as l’estate di San Martino (St. Martin’s Summer). But this mild weather tends to be fleeting. Colder nights lie ahead and with Martinmas we find ourselves, by traditional reckoning of time, at the natural start of winter. It is, until Yuletide, a time of increasing darkness. The living world continues its process of shutting down and receding into itself: going underground. Trees are no longer growing above, but roots below the surface still are growing. And so the connections are strong, these darkening days, between the world of the living and the underworld of the dead. Of course we honored these days of the dead at the start of the month with Halloween and All Saints and All Souls. But the connection of Martinmas to the days of the dead is just as strong, through memory. Before the change to the Gregorian Calendar, the 11th of November was Samhain, the Celtic New Year.

Another name for Martinmas is Hollantide, and just as Halloween is a corruption of the words All Hallow’s Eve, so is Hollandtide, which comes from Hallowtide: the time of the sacred, the holy––those who have gone before. Many of our contemporary Halloween traditions come out of Hollantide traditions: the carving of turnips (replaced by pumpkins here in America) into Jack o’Lanterns and the going door to door in search of soul cakes, which has evolved into the trick-or-treating we know today. The day is also a traditional weather marker: If ducks do slide at Hollantide, At Christmas they will swim. / If ducks do swim at Hollantide, At Christmas they will slide. / Winter is on his way / At St. Martin’s Day. And so we continue turning inward at this time of year, gathering in, preparing for winter. By all means, though, warm the evening at Martinmas with wine. Light a fire while you’re at it.

The Celts would have lit huge bonfires on Samhain to welcome in the new year, and in our case, a small celebration involving a fire in the hearth or in the fire pit in the back yard is just as good, and even better with a bottle of wine and some good company. Good St. Martin himself would have it no other way. Today’s chapter was originally printed in the Convivio Book of Days on Martinmas 2013. Pictured above: Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, godparents, raising their glasses at my sister’s christening dinner, Brooklyn 1953. “Salute!” martinmas – around the year “The nights will be long, dark, and cold. Jack Frost will freeze the ground. How shall I find the light With so much darkness all around?” Said Father Sun, “I’ll give you from my Last autumn rays, a spark, If you will make a little house To hold it in the dark.” from “George’s Lantern” by Anonymous Martinmas, or the Feast of St. Martin of Tours takes place each year on November 11th. The story of St. Martin (b.

316 A.D.) begins with his decision as a young man to become a Catechumen (a convert to Christianity who has not yet been baptized), against the wishes of his parents. Although conscripted into the Roman army, he found his duties as a soldier to be at odds with his new Christian faith. After a series of trials and tribulations (including being jailed for refusing to fight) he was baptized and embraced monastic life; he was made Bishop of Tours in 371 A.D. He is, however, most famous for an event which occurred during his time as a Roman soldier. Legend tells us that upon entering the gates of Amiens, France on a cold, snowy evening Martin happened upon a beggar clothed in nothing but rags. Without a second thought, Martin took his sword and cut his red military cloak in half and gave part of it to the beggar. That night Martin dreamt that he saw Christ wrapped in the piece of cloak, which solidified his faith and was perhaps the catalyst for the rest of his life’s work. You can read more about St. Martin in the November 2015 issue of the around the year newsletter.

For special days such as this I always like to spend a little time creating festive decorations, like the glittery stars on our branch mobile, and also I like to venture into the woods to find some natural elements to decorate the table. In the evening we eat a delicious feast in honor of St. Martin (recipes below) and read The Star Child, written by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm & illustrated by Bernadette Watts (purchased here ). This beautiful picture book tells the story of a little orphan girl who gives away everything she has, even the clothing on her back, and is handsomely rewarded with star money falling from heaven — a perfect complement to the legend of St. Martin. In much of Europe the Feast of St. Martin is celebrated with a lantern walk in the evening, and so we do the same. We make beautiful lanterns with glass jars and tissue paper, and process with them around our neighborhood. There is something so wonderful about watching the light reach out into the darkness; to know that each of us carry a “light” just like this inside of us and that we can use it as a force for good in the world, as St. Martin did so long ago.

The Menu Martinmas, like many feast days, usually involves a lot of meat. I’m a vegetarian, so I created my own menu based on some of the traditions associated with Martinmas, especially in Europe. We have wine because St. Martin of Tours is the patron saint of vintners. I chose a Waldorf-ish salad to start because on Martinmas in Malta children receive bags with treats such as apples, dried fruits, and nuts. The entree might be a Turnip Frittata because historically turnips have been carved out and used as lanterns on Martinmas. A side of Roasted Carrots & Parsnips rounds out the meal, as they are traditional harvest vegetables. And, of course, a Martinmas meal would not be complete without Vanilla Horseshoe Cookies, which are traditionally made for St. Martin’s beautiful white horse.

Apple & Walnut Salad from Taste of Home Ingredients 5 cups torn red leaf lettuce 1 large red apple, chopped 1 large green apple, chopped 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted 1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion 1/3 cup dried cranberries 3/4 cup Apple juice or cider 3 tablespoons cider vinegar 2 teaspoons honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy) 1/2 cup shredded cheese (dairy or non-dairy) salt and pepper to taste Directions Preheat oven to 425°F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add broccoli rabe (or broccolini) and cook until very tender, about 5 minutes for broccoli rabe (or 6 to 7 minutes for broccolini). Drain well. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the turnips, onion and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Spread and pat the mixture into an even layer; cook, without stirring, for 2 minutes. Then stir the mixture and scrape up any browned bits. Pat the mixture back into an even layer and continue cooking, without stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir again, spread back into an even layer and cook until mostly golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes more. Transfer to a plate. Wash and dry the pan. Whisk eggs, egg whites and milk in a medium bowl. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the pan over medium heat. Add the egg mixture and cook, stirring briefly, until beginning to set, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Spoon the turnip mixture evenly over the eggs. Top with cheese, then the broccoli rabe (or broccolini). Transfer the pan to the oven. Bake the frittata until set, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand 5 minutes. To release the frittata from the pan, run a flexible rubber spatula along the edges then underneath, until you can slide it out onto a cutting board or serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve.

Roasted Parsnips & Carrots from Ina Garten Ingredients 3 tablespoons good olive oil 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill or parsley Directions Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. If the parsnips and carrots are very thick, cut them in half lengthwise. Slice each diagonally in 1-inch-thick slices. The vegetables will shrink while cooking, so don’t make the pieces too small. Place the cut vegetables on a sheet pan. Add the olive oil, salt, and pepper and toss well. Roast for 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the vegetables, tossing occasionally, until the parsnips and carrots are just tender. Sprinkle with dill and serve hot.

Vanilla Horseshoe Cookies, from Catholic Culture Ingredients 1 cup butter or margarine (dairy or non-dairy) 1/2 cup confectioners’ (powdered) sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats, uncooked Directions Cream butter or margarine; add sugar gradually while continuing to cream; beat until fluffy. Stir in vanilla, flour, and salt. Blend in rolled oats [I did this by sort of kneading them into the dough while it was still in the bowl, 1/2 a cup at a time]. Roll out about 1/4 inch thick on lightly floured board. Cut in strips 6 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. On ungreased cookie sheets shape strips to resemble horseshoes. [This didn’t work for me so I just took a bit of dough and shaped it into a horseshoe on the cookie sheet, skipping the strip part entirely]. Bake at 325° for 20 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove carefully, as cookies are very rich and break easily.

For more ideas and inspiration for celebrating Martinmas, visit my Pinterest board! Traditions in Denmark -The official website of Denmark The whole month of December is dominated by Christmas. <<>> Traditions in Denmark In Denmark, great attention is paid to traditions and festivals, though without great ceremony. Many Danish traditions are based around the Christian calendar, with Christmas, Easter and St. John’s Eve (at the end of June) being some of the most important and typically spent together with family. Other important celebrations include the carnival “Fastelavn” in February, New Year and Great Prayer Day, which was established to combine several traditional holidays into one day. There are also May Day (Labour Day) and April Fools Day, where Danes tease each other with pranks and outlandish stories. In recent years, Danes have also started to embrace both Valentine´s Day and Halloween. 14 February - Valentine's Day In the early 1990s, the Danes began to celebrate Valentine’s Day as the great day of love, inspired by the American custom. It is especially the young and people in love who use the day as an occasion to show their love for each other.

Hearts made of flowers, chocolate, pasta or cake are just a few examples of the available options. February/March - Shrovetide Shrovetide is a children’s festival, they dress up – usually on Quinquagesima Sunday – and go around with their collection tins which they try to get filled with money. Read more about Shrovetide March/April - Easter Many homes and shops are decorated for Easter in green and yellow, especially with new-leaved branches and daffodils. The main symbol of Easter is still the egg. Read more about Easter 1 April - April Fools Day As in many other countries, the Danes also tease each other with fictitious stories etc on 1 April. The tradition, which dates back to the 17th century, has also been adopted by the big mass media and on 1 April newspaper readers and television viewers must therefore be particularly alert. April/May Great Prayer Day Great Prayer Day is a special Danish festival falling on the fourth Friday after Easter Sunday, i.e. at the earliest on 17 April and at the latest on 21 May.

Read more about Great Prayer Day May - Mother's day In Denmark, Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May. Since 1929, it has been a widespread custom to please one’s mother with for instance a bunch of flowers. The custom, which originally had a social purpose, comes from the USA. 1 May 1 May is the international workers’ campaign and festival day and a holiday in many workplaces. In many cities, people gather in the early afternoon – sometimes after having walked in procession – for a mixture of popular festival, political speeches and entertainment. The largest event takes place in the Copenhagen park 'Fælledparken' (Copenhagen Common). The day has gradually become more of a festival day than a campaign day. 5 May - Denmark's Liberation After having been occupied by Germany since 9 April 1940, Denmark became free again on 5 May 1945. When the liberation was announced in the 8.30pm BBC broadcast on 4 May 1945, many Danes spontaneously placed lit candles in their windows. This became a custom that is still kept up by many Danes.

May/June - Pentecost/Whitsun Pentecost is a Church festival celebrated to mark the advent of the Holy Spirit and the founding of the Church. The Christian Pentecost is also associated with the awakening of nature at Whitsun. It falls 50 days after Easter, i.e. at the earliest on 11 May and at the latest on 14 June. Read more about Pentecost 5 June - Constitution Day 5 June is the anniversary of the coming in force of the first Danish Constitution, the June Constitution of 1849. The day, which in many places is a full or half holiday, is celebrated around the country with political rallies, which especially formerly were in the nature of popular festivals, for instance on the popular nature spots Himmelbjerget and Skamlingsbanken in Jutland. It is also Father’s Day, which was introduced from the USA in 1935. 15 June - Valdemar's Day According to the legend, the Danish flag, Dannebrog, on this day fell from the sky by Lyndanise in Estonia, where King Valdemar II the Victorious was crusading in 1219.

Since 1913, the day has been a national flag day when little Danish flags are sold. Until 1948, the day was a school holiday and it was celebrated with Valdemar Festivals around the country. 23 June - St. John's Eve The Danes often meet with family and friends to have dinner together. If the weather is good, they then proceed to a local bonfire venue. Read more about St. John's Eve November - All Saint's Day All Saints’ Day, which is celebrated on the first Sunday in November, was originally a commemoration day for the dead saints held on 1 November. The day survived the Reformation, but the Protestants combined it with All Souls’ Day, which was on 2 November. The day was abolished as a church festival in 1770, but is celebrated by the church on the first Sunday in November. In recent years, it has become common in many churches to commemorate those dead during the year on the day itself. The tradition of placing candles on the graves the evening before All Saints’ Eve is becoming more common. So is the American Halloween where the children dress up as ghosts etc and go around ringing door bells like at Shrovetide.

When the door is opened, they say ‘trick or treat’ (in English). If they are not given a cookie or money, they make trouble – like at Shrovetide. 10 November - Martinmas Eve Martinmas Eve is the evening before St Martin’s Day. Many Danes eat roast duck or goose on this evening. According to the legend, Martin was revealed by some geese when he modestly hid to avoid becoming a bishop. He therefore decided that every year on this day, 11 November, the geese must lose their lives to be eaten. December - The Christmas Month The whole month of December is dominated by Christmas. In most towns, the main shopping streets are decorated with fir garlands and lights. In squares and gardens, there are Christmas trees with fairy lights, a custom dating back to 1914, when the first Christmas tree was lit on the Town Hall Square in Copenhagen. In recent years, it has also become common to cover many other trees or objects with fairy lights. Read more about Christmas in Denmark 31 December - New Year Unlike Christmas, which most people spend with their family, New Year is celebrated with the friends.

New Year’s Eve is framed by two important items broadcast on television and radio, viz. respectively the monarch’s New Year Speech at 6pm and the striking of midnight by the Town Hall Clock in Copenhagen, which marks the start of the new year. The monarch’s New Year Speech has virtually become a national rallying point since it was first made in 1942 during the German Occupation, when the King called for national unity. Many Danes party with various kinds of good food followed by champagne and marzipan ring cake at midnight. The New Year is greeted with fireworks after midnight; they include both noisy bangs and rockets, etc which light up the night sky in many different colours. In many parts of the country, the traditional New Year’s Eve menu is boiled cod, the so-called New Year’s cod, or stewed kale and cured saddle of pork. It is characteristic of both dishes that they are less fattening than the calorie-rich Christmas dishes. The high jinks traditionally associated with a transition, such as the start of a new year, have almost disappeared along with the close relationship with the neighbours.

The last trace of the dressing up associated with some of the high jinks is found in the paper hats which together with streamers and balloons constitute the traditional New Year’s decorations. [Your user agent does not support frames or is currently configured not to display frames. However, you may visit <a href="&#xA; #xA; ">the related document.</a>] [Your user agent does not support frames or is currently configured not to display frames. However, you may visit] [Your user agent does not support frames or is currently configured not to display frames. However, you may visit <a href="&#xA; #xA; ">the related document.</a>] [Your user agent does not support frames or is currently configured not to display frames. However, you may visit] We recommend Martinmas Day – let the feasting commence! – Seven Trees Farm Red Letter Days Martinmas Day – let the feasting commence! Armistice Day is a relatively recent addition to our calendar of observances. An earlier tradition marked on November 11th is Martinmas Day , also know as St. Martin’s Day and Martlemas. It was a time to wind up outdoor work in the fields and start preparing for the long dark winter.

In Britain (and northern Europe) people couldn’t afford to winter over much stock besides the family milk cows and prized breeding animals. So in November “spare” animals were sent to market. In country areas, families would go in together on a cow to butcher and eat immediately. These markets eventually became known as “marts” after St. Martin’s day, when the markets took place. Martinmas was also an important day in the rural legal calendar. Hiring fairs were held at this time, with their opportunities for agricultural labourers to gain better employment and the chance of a holiday. It was also called Pack-Rag day, because they carried their possessions with them to their new homes. The hiring fair was also called a statute or mop fair, the latter because people for hire wore a mop or tassel as a badge – carters wore a piece of whip cord, grooms a piece of sponge, shepherds a lock of wool, and so on. Those wishing to be hired stood in rows for inspection by employers. Quarter Days such as Martinmas (February 1, Lammas and Halloween were others) were also times in which feudal taxes were collected.

Until the 1920s, Martinmas was the high point of the farm labourer’s year in the north of England and was also known as ‘Rive-kite’ or ‘Split-Stomach Day’ (or, Tear-Stomach Day), firstly because food was generally more plentiful than usual, and because labourers got their holidays at this time and might return home, often to a family welcoming feast. Animals were slaughtered for Martinmas feasts as well as for salting as food for the Winter . In an old Celtic custom, some of the blood from the slaughter was spilt upon the ground or on the threshold as a protection for the year ahead, and after the slaughter the feast began. On Martinmas nothing involving a wheel, spinning wool, carting, plowing, was to be undertaken before midday. Since the offal was the most perishable, people quickly made blood puddings and sausages from the butchered animals. Some choice parts were sold to butchers, who then sold them on to wealthy townspeople. The rest of the beef was often salted and smoked, much like bacon. Mrs.

Beeton (of the famous cookbook ) has a recipe for salt-beef: TO PREPARE HUNG BEEF . 630. This is preserved by salting and drying, either with or without smoke. Hang up the beef 3 or 4 days, till it becomes tender, but take care it does not begin to spoil; then salt it in the usual way, either by dry-salting or by brine, with bay-salt, brown sugar, saltpetre, and a little pepper and allspice; afterwards roll it tight in a cloth, and hang it up in a warm, but not hot place, for a fortnight or more, till it is sufficiently hard. If required to have a little of the smoky flavour, it may be hung for some time in a chimney-corner, or smoked in any other way: it will keep a long time. Salt beef was never at the top of anyone’s menu choice, but in the middle of winter, when nothing was fresh or plentiful, having any kind of meat was a bounty. One proverb of the time says: When Easter comes, who knows not than That veale and bacon is the man?

And Martilmass Beefe doth beare good tacke, When countrey folke do dainties lacke. The heathen calendar’s entry for November says: “The name of the eleventh month, Blotmonað (blood month), which means the Month of Sacrifice, arises from the fact that without modern methods of fodder storage it was not possible to keep more than a limited amount of livestock through the winter. The surplus animals were therefore killed and the flesh smoked or salted down. The keeping of this as a sacrificial occasion, and devoting the killed animals to the gods, was perhaps an economical way of making a virtue of necessity. “ There are a lot of parts of animals like organs, brains, feet, bones, that most people don’t eat today that our ancestors made full use of. The painting above is of a butcher’s stall from the 15th century. Martinmas was also the kickoff of the winter feasting season. Farmwork was done, rents were paid, nothing much to do but make it through the winter without going stir crazy.

Another proverb from Scotland says: “Tween Martinmas and Yule Water’s wine in every pool.” Meaning pretty much people were partying from Martinmas (November 11th) through Yule (mid-January). Not a terrible way to get through the cold barren months of winter, provided you had the foresight to put up enough beef at Martinmas. One last bit of Martinmas cheer comes from this verse of an old English ballad: It is the day of Martilmasse Cuppes of ale should freelie pass; What though Wynter has begunne To push downe the Summer sunne, To our fire we can betake, And enjoye the crackling brake, Never heeding Wynter’s face On the day of Martilmasse. Read more about Martinmas here – Feast of St.Martin (Martinmas) (Martinmas) St. Martin of Tours -- "The Glory of Gaul" -- was born around A.D. 316 in Szombathely, Hungary (known then as Sabaria, Pannonia) and grew up the son of a Roman military officer in Pavia, Italy.

He joined the Roman army and was sent to Amiens, where, on horseback, he met a starving man begging alms at the city gates. Moved by deep compassion, he tore his red, woolen his cloak in two with his sword and gave half to the beggar. The next night, he had a dream in which he saw Jesus wearing the half of the cloak he'd given away, surrounded by angels. In the dream, Our Lord asked him to look at it and to see if he recognized it. He did, of course, and realized that he must convert and devote his life to Christ. (St. Martin's remaining piece of cloak became a very revered relic. In fact, the building where his cloak -- "cappa" in Latin -- was preserved was known as the "cappella," the root of our words "chapel" and "chaplain.") When he was around 20 years of age, some Teutons invaded Gaul and were repelled. When he went before Emperor Julian to receive his reward, he was moved to refuse the bounty, saying ""Up to now, I have served you as a soldier; allow me henceforth to serve Christ.

Give the bounty to these others who are going out to battle. I am a soldier of Christ and it is not lawful for me to fight." Julian accused him of cowardice and had him imprisoned, but he was released after a truce was called. He got out of the army in Worms and, after spending time at Isola d'Albenga (then Gallinaria), met up with St. Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers and became his disciple, living a solitary life until others gathered around him, forming the Benedictine Abbey of Ligugé. After a decade of this life, he went on journeys around the area to preach the Gospel, and his popularity grew to such an extent that when St. Hilary of Poitier's successor died, the people of the town elected St. Martin to succeed him as Bishop, in spite of St. Martin's protests. Indeed, St. Martin was rather "tricked" into the position. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia When St. Lidorius, second Bishop of Tours, died in 371 or 372, the clergy of that city desired to replace him by the famous hermit of Ligugé [St. Martin].

But, as Martin remained deaf to the prayers of the deputies who brought him this message, it was necessary to resort to a ruse to overcome his resistance. A certain Rusticius, a rich citizen of Tours, went and begged him to come to his wife, who was in the last extremity, and to prepare her for death. Without any suspicions, Martin followed him in all haste, but hardly had he entered the city when, in spite of the opposition of a few ecclesiastical dignitaries, popular acclamation constrained him to become Bishop of the Church of Tours. As Bishop, he led an exemplary simple life, a life that inspired the formation of yet another monastery, one called Marmoutier. He fought battles against the Priscillianists and Ithacians, evangelized and set up religious communities as far away as Paris and Vienne, visited every parish in his large diocese each year, and died around the age of 81, so loved that he became known as "The Glory of Gaul." St. Martin is the patron of beggars, vintners, equestrians, soldiers, tailors, innkeepers, alcoholics, and geese.

He is usually depicted in art on horseback, handing half of his cloak to a beggar, or relinquishing his arms. His symbol is the goose. You may also see him riding on a donkey based on the apocryphal story of him walking to Rome and meeting up with the devil, who mocked him for not riding on a donkey as a Bishop should. St. Martin turned the devil into a donkey and rode him all the way to Rome, urging him on with the Sign of the Cross. The angered devil cursed him with this palindrome: Signa te Signa: temere me tangis et angis: Roma tibi subito motibus ibit amor ("Cross, cross thyself, you plague and vex me without need For by my labors you shall soon reach Rome, the object of your wishes") St. Martin's Feast is considered the first day of Winter for practical purposes, so, alluding to the snows of that season, the Germans say that "St Martin comes riding on a white horse." Of course, it might not feel like Winter if one is experiencing a "St.

Martin's Summer" -- the equivalent of an "Indian Summer." It is said, too, that one can predict what sort of Winter one will have by the conditions of St. Martin's Day: "If the geese at Martins Day stand on ice, they will walk in mud at Christmas." The Feast coincides not only with the end of the Octave of All Souls, but with harvest time, the time when newly-produced wine is ready for drinking, 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 "everyone must die"). Because of this, St. Martin's Feast is much like the American Thanksgiving (celebrated on the 4th Thursday in November) -- a celebration of the earth's bounty. Because it also comes before the penitential season of Advent, it is seen as a mini "carnivale" with all the feasting and bonfires. As at Michaelmas on 29 September, goose is eaten in most places (the goose is a symbol for St. Martin himself.

It is said that as he was hiding from the people who wanted to make him Bishop, a honking goose gave away his hiding spot), but unlike most Catholics, those of Britain and Ireland prefer pork or beef on this day. Goose with Apple Stuffing

Question: In which month of the year is Martinmas?
Answer: November