St. Martin Day - November 11

[Jaga]

I guess, we did not talk about St. Martin (sw Marcin) day celebration too much since it is more related to German tradition than to the Polish.

By the way - who knows what St. Martin was the most famous for?

Maybe Charles can enlighten us a bit more about St. Martin tradition in Germany?

In Poland people usually eat goose and meat in that day since it was just before the beginning of Advent season. In some regions this day was also celebrated with music and dance.

[bescheid]

Please to not be harsh for my lateness in reply, and with the absence of brevity. I was in thought of only to add of my own words of this event, but realized that would have been in failure to fully describe of this great person and his impression made upon us.

We are a simply people, but, we try to make things complicated between us. In as much to our various dialects to further complicate our lives. Add to this, a religious separation between the Catholic South and our Protestant North. The term of {Unity} is far from truth.

As of Carnival, it is not quite so exercised in the North as south. But, it has a tendency to become quite very crazy. Whilst working in Bonn, I learnt the hard facts of Carnival in the office. The deadly hour beganst at of 11.11hr on 11 November. It is a ladies time. For they arrived wearing some out landish haten until the hour 10.00. Then out to the town square for a meeting with the entirety of the entire female population of Bonn. With the fellows, it was deadly, for at the whim of the lady population, they {ladies} would grab a fellow and plant a big kiss on him {bright lip stick and all}, a few of those kisses have a tendency to create the image of a clownish lout, very embarrassing and hell on the office shirt. The next nasty the nice ladies have in their inventory, was a sharp pair of shears, and that thing would snip off the fellows nice tie leaving a short reminder of what was once a nice tie. Yes, and the following lady would snip off the next partial remains of the tie, then the next and now no longer a tie.

Ok, that was only the beginning. For now the tie less fellow is marched into the close by establishment and was to pay for the drinks the ladies desired.

For the children, it is a fun event as described in the following.

www.associatedcontent.com/article/86178/st_martins_day_in_germany.html

Lanterns, Sweets and a Horse Named Shimmel
By Anna Burroughs

In Europe, St. Martin’s Day is the most popular of all saints’ days, especially with children. The arrival of St. Martin is celebrated by entire towns and his departure is a day of gifts and feasts.
The story told is that St. Martin of Tours was a Roman soldier born around 316 AD in Hungary. As a soldier, he rode with the Roman army. He and his soldiers were once at the gates of the city of Amiens during a terrible snowstorm when a freezing beggar appeared. Martin took his sword, cut his military cloak in half and gave it to the man. That night, Martin dreamed that Jesus was wearing the garment. During his dream, he heard Jesus tell the angels “Here is Martin, the Roman soldier who is not baptized, he has clad me.” When Martin woke his cloak was once again whole. He then turned to Christianity becoming baptized and eventually a monk, living many years in solitude. He was recognized for his kindness and a humble manner.

He was a modest man and when he was proposed to become Bishop of Tours, he hid in a barn to avoid the honor. A flock of geese gave his hiding place away with their gabbling and he was appointed Bishop. Today, the goose is associated with St. Martin and enjoyed during the feast of St. Martin in December.

The celebration of St. Martin has many seasonal correlations. It marks the end of the agrarian year, the beginning of harvesting, the start of carnival and the end of all souls period that starts November 1st on All Saints’ Day. The holiday began in France and then spread to Germany, Scandinavia and Eastern Europe.

In Germany, children prepare for the arrival of St. Martin by making paper lanterns. St. Martin arrives to towns at dusk on a big horse named Shimmel. All the children gather with their lit lanterns and parade through town behind him singing songs in his honor.

Ich geh mit meiner Laterne Und meine Laterne mit mir. Dort oben leuchten die Sterne,
Hier Unten, da leuchten wir. Mein Licht ist aus, Wir gehn nach Haus,
Rabimmel, rabammel, rabum!

“I’m coming with my lantern, and my lantern with me; There, over the light are the stars,
Here, under the light are we; My light is out, We’re going home.
Rabimmel, rabammel, rabum!”

A large bonfire burns at the procession’s end and children enjoy sweets while grown-ups drink hot mulled red wine with sugar. After a short while everyone disperses. The grown-ups return home and the children walk door to door with their lanterns, sing songs and are rewarded with treats or geld (money).

It is fabled that St. Martin stays until December 5th. On this night, children leave shoes near their fireplaces filled with hay and carrots for St. Martin’s horse. The next morning, if they have been good, they awake to find sweets and presents in place of the hay and carrots. This day, December 6th, is the feast of St. Martin and is celebrated at home with family, friends, feasts and festivities. Gifts are exchanged and the goose that gave St. Martin away becomes a traditional meal.

The anticipation of St. Martin’s arrival is an exciting time for children and the parade of lanterns is a beautiful seasonal celebration that marks the change of time and light. The hot mulled red wine is delicious and the celebration of St. Martin’s Day is a unique way to enjoy a German holiday tradition.

Charles

[Jaga]

Charles,

thanks for the great update. The fact that this day seem to be enjoyed by mischievous women... almost reminds me the Walpurgis night I did hear about women cutting the tie - did ever your tie was cut like that or did you get a kiss

[bescheid]

admin said:

Charles,

thanks for the great update. The fact that this day seem to be enjoyed by mischievous women... almost reminds me the Walpurgis night I did hear about women cutting the tie - did ever your tie was cut like that or did you get a kiss

Haaaammm, yes...on both counts...Well I was told this was to be expected. 3 of us fellows attempted to make a break out from the building with the tactic of folding our arms together to form a protective group with just our backs and butts showing out, then we ran for it out of the building.

Was it effective,,,,no,,,our objective was to run for the centre fountain, split apart and disappear into no where.

Those ladies were darn smart, and very very quick. They bounced us as of cattle, split us up and conducted their dirty work. And my tie? Well, it was a has was in short quick time, my hair? Yes, had been brown, after they finished with their goooyyyee red lipstick on our once clean faces, they grooved up our hair with red artistic streaks from eye brow to back of neck.

We then were armed up by the ladies so as not to escape so easily, to a rather nice place for drinks. Actually after the street stuff, and my money made up one round before empty. There was a very good music group with some good lively music. It then was fun attempting to transfer some of the red lip stick goo back on to the donor if possible. I think the ladies knew we fellows would run out of money so soon. I think they were prepared for I certainly had nothing left the remainder of the evening and the drinks kept coming in.

It was a crazy day and long into the evening, we all enjoyed the time. If not for the dancing, the many many drinks might of begin to have bad effects.

There were street parades we all watched, and laughed at the other fellows suffering the similar fate.

The polizei had blocked off the traffic away from this large area for the festivals so there were no traffic to dodge. Just people to people.

Charles

[Jaga]

Charles,

thanks! You are probably a popular guy around women therefore they liked to do something to you
By the way. In Polish-American Journal they are wrote that in Poland people use to eat goose for St. Martin Day!

[bescheid]

admin said:

Charles,

thanks! You are probably a popular guy around women therefore they liked to do something to you
By the way. In Polish-American Journal they are wrote that in Poland people use to eat goose for St. Martin Day!

Oh lovely one, you are much to kind!!

I think perhaps our journeys of tradition are not so different, a land that is so similar, with our lives and history so entangled as together.

There are so many of different stories of St. Martin, and most likely they are all true.

From the Kelts, the goose fattening ends at this time of Oktober, for the reason of taxes. As once the goose is fattened, it is a wast of time and resources to continue, and as such, to satisfy the requirements of payable taxes, the geese are then forfeited in payment.

Germany is a land of fairytales, and for good reason. This time of year is of time for tasting of the new wine and the killing of the seasons meat for before the snows of winter fall.

Long beforst the present of abundance. Long past our currant hour of time. The fall harvest not always was good. For in this time, the family worked for all that was to harvest, then with payment of taxes, the remainder was for the winter to eat and live un-to the spring.

Not for always would this be sufficient. For in especially harsh winter weather, it would be not of un-usual for a traveler, to have come across for hospitality of the house. A farmer house, to knock upon the door, and hear not a response of any. To then open the door to be greeted by the frost of frozen air of inside. To then observe with the eye of the traveler, the farm family frozen together in their death together as they lay. For as the past harvest was insufficient to length out the winter and the fires of the house were not kept, the family perished together as they had lived.

The winter traveler usually conducted what was expected as a traveler needs be done, they alighted the house with fire for homage to the once living. Much to better then of the forest creatures to come in for their own feast.

The forest traveler then once arrived into the next village, would then retell of their find of the perished family and what ever of fantasy they would add to remove the harshness of their discovery.

www.wilsonsalmanac.com/st_martins_day.html

Charles

[Jaga]

Charles,

do you know the prediction which we have in Poland that if the first snow arrived around St. Martin day that means that St. Martin came riding a white horse? My father reminded me about it today, especially since they have a lot of snow there.

[bescheid]

admin said:

Charles,

do you know the prediction which we have in Poland that if the first snow arrived around St. Martin day that means that St. Martin came riding a white horse? My father reminded me about it today, especially since they have a lot of snow there.

Jaga

I did not know this....at the moment, I do not remember as also from home of this saying. I know for in the far past, there were some weather prediction devices used that were written in Runik and Norse.

On the ships, it was an absolute for accurate weather knowledge. We received on an 12 hour radio/teletype print out of currant and short future forecast. Then the 4 hour update. At similar, we followed for local immediate weather check using all of Temperature/barometric pressure readings/humidity and currant conditions with wind speed. This was radio/telephoned in as currant conditions.

A sudden shift in barometric preasure was dangeroius as it means usually of high winds to be expected, and this translates into high seas. The see is as of a desert, it is flat and winds have a tendency to accelerate with obstruction of mountains that will channel and redirect.

Charles