November 11 and the Legend of St. Martin

Martinstag
There is a traditional German custom that has a few things in common with Halloween: Martinstag (St. Martin’s Day, Martinsmas). Although they are very different celebrations, the Catholic Martinstag observance on 11 November includes costumes and a lantern procession for children. Also known as Martini (from the Latin Festum Sancti Martini) in Austria and Bavaria, the feast day of Martin of Tours is celebrated in many parts of Europe, including even some Protestant regions. According to legend, a soldier named Martin cut his red cloak in half to share with a beggar during a snowstorm. The traditional roasted goose (Martinsgans) meal on Martinstag is based on another part of the legend. Feeling unworthy of becoming a bishop, Martin hid in a stable filled with geese. The noise made by the geese betrayed his location, and the people of Tours had him consecrated as a bishop.

Weckmann mit Tonpfeife: Weckmann pastry figures displaying a white clay pipe are a popular aspect of Martinstag. Sometimes raisins are added for the eyes or “buttons.” See a recipe link below. PHOTO: Wikimedia Commons

Also see: Halloween in Germany

St. Martin’s Procession (Sankt-Martins-Umzug)

“Saint Martin and the Beggar” (ca. 1597-99) by El Greco PHOTO: Wikimedia Commons

In parts of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands the Martinstag observance is a children’s affair. Carrying paper, candle-lit lanterns they have made in school, the young children take part in an evening procession, sometimes led by a rider on a white horse, emulating St. Martin and his red cloak. In some places the lantern procession ends with a Martinsfeuer (St. Martin bonfire).

Depending on the region, at the end of the lantern procession, the children are rewarded with a sweet pastry called a “Weckmann” (Rhineland), a “Stutenkerl” (Westphalia) and other regional names. See photo above. In some regions the children go door to door and sing for candy, fruit, or other treats. This is called “Martinssingen” or “Martinisingen.” In this way, the custom is very similar to Halloween’s trick-or-treat.

If you’ve never tasted a Weckmann pastry, try this Weckmann recipe (in English from germanfoods.org).

In largely Protestant Berlin, there is a secularized version of Martinstag that is observed by some kindergartens and elementary schools with a lantern procession for the children, using lanterns they have made. The observance in Berlin deemphasizes the religious (Catholic) aspect. Rather than Martinstag, the custom in northern Germany is called “Laternenfest” – Lantern Festival.

Children participating in a traditional Martinszug (lantern procession) from house to house. PHOTO: Wikimedia Commons

Next | St. Martin’s Day Songs (Lieder)
More | Holidays and Celebrations

Related Pages
AT THE GERMAN WAY

• St. Martin’s Day Songs (Lieder) – Song lyrics in German with prose English translations
• Laternenfest – Lantern Festival – Chloë writes about the German Martinstag custom that has some similarities to Halloween and Guy Fawkes night.
• Halloween in Germany – It’s not really a German holiday, but Halloween is becoming increasingly popular there.
• Thanksgiving in Germany – Erntedank, the German version of Thanksgiving, is observed in September or October, but there is no official date, and no nationwide holiday.
• Holidays and Celebrations in Austria, Germany and Switzerland
• Christmas from A to Z – German Christmas traditions and terms