The Forgotten Feast of Saint Martin
How we forgot to prepare for winter
Long before children begged for sweets dressed as skeletons, Europe celebrated Saint Martin: a true, pan-European feast
Since the Middle Ages, (poor) children have gone door to door on 11 November. A custom that predates Christianity
Children still go door to door in parts of the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria, and Scandinavia. They carry lanterns and sing. They receive sweets. But most have no idea why.
The day once belonged to the Roman god Mars (animal sacrifices) and German god Wodan (fires). It was also the close of the agricultural year.
The Church did not destroy the feast, but sanctified it.
One Dutch children’s song retains the memory of the original feast:
‘Sint-Maarten, Sint-Maarten, de koeien hebben staarten, de meisjes hebben rokjes aan…’
Saint Martin, Saint Martin, the cows have tails, the girls wear skirts…
The livestock was slaughtered (cow’s tails), which was a great feast (that’s why girls wear skirts). The end date of the agricultural calendar. And one of the final …
