11 November: Martinmas

Today is Martinmas, so here are some Martinmas customs and folklore from around the world:

1. On Martinmas no work involving a wheel or turning was to be undertaken before midday.
2. It was traditionally a day for slaughtering animals, not only for the Martinmas feasts but for salting and laying aside meat for the winter. An an old Celtic custom was to spill some of the blood from the slaughter on the ground or on the threshold as protection for the year ahead.
3. This gives rise to the saying, "His Martinmas will come as it does to every hog." i.e. there’s no escaping death.
4. Fine weather on this day was known as St. Martin's Summer.
5. According to an old Huntingdonshire proverb, a north west wind on this day was a sign of a severe winter to come. Another thing to look for on this day which predicts a severe winter is the leaves still being on the trees.
6. On Martinmas hiring fairs were held, with opportunities for agricultural workers to find a better job and the chance of a holiday. It was also called Pack-Rag day, because they carried their possessions with them to their new homes. It was also a quarter day, when taxes were collected.
7. Goose is traditionally eaten on this day, because of a legend in which St Martin was once annoyed by a goose, so he ordered it killed and served to him for his dinner.
8. In Düsseldorf and Bonn, Germany, pageants are held commemorating St Martin’s giving his cloak to a naked beggar, who turned out to be Christ. St Martin is the patron saint of beggars and Beggars Day is another name for Martinmas in the Netherlands. Children here go door to door on Beggars Day pretending to be beggars.
9. St Martin was also the patron saint of shepherds, so it was a holiday for them. They'd traditionally meet with their employers to negotiate their contracts for the coming year. As their bosses approached, they would blow horns, then present them with a martinsgerte, or decorated branch, and recite poems, for which they were rewarded with presents.
10. In some parts of Germany on St Martin’s Day, Martinimann or Pelzmärte delivered presents like Santa Claus.

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