St. Martin’s Day (November 11): Lanterns, Geese & Traditions

Lanterns glowing in the dark, children singing door to door, roast goose on the table and new wine in the glass — St. Martin’s Day (also called Martinmas) brings warmth to cold November evenings across Europe. It is celebrated on November 11 in honour of Saint Martin of Tours, the Roman soldier who shared his cloak with a freezing beggar.

At a glance
Date	November 11 every year
Honours	Saint Martin of Tours (c. 316–397)
Other names	Martinmas, Martinstag (Germany), Sint-Maarten (Netherlands), São Martinho (Portugal), Święty Marcin (Poland)
Famous traditions	Lantern processions, roast goose, St. Martin’s croissants, chestnuts and new wine
Patron of	Soldiers, beggars, horses, winemakers and France

The Legend of the Cloak

Martin was born in Pannonia (in today’s Hungary) and served as a soldier in the Roman army. One bitterly cold winter day at the gates of Amiens in France, he met a poor man with almost no clothes. Martin drew his sword, cut his military cloak in two and gave half to the beggar. That night, the story says, he dreamt of Jesus wearing the half-cloak. Martin left the army, became a monk and later the much-loved Bishop of Tours.

Another legend explains the geese: when people wanted to make Martin a bishop, he hid in a goose pen — but the cackling geese gave him away. That is said to be why goose is eaten on his feast day!

The word “chapel” comes from cappella, the little cloak of St. Martin that was kept as a relic by Frankish kings.

St. Martin’s Day Around Europe

Country	How it is celebrated
Germany & Austria	Children carry handmade lanterns in evening processions (Laternelaufen), often led by a rider dressed as St. Martin; Martinsgans (roast goose) and Weckmann bread
Netherlands & Belgium	Children go door to door with lanterns singing Sint-Maarten songs for sweets
Poland	Poznań holds a parade and eats rogale świętomarcińskie — croissants filled with white poppy seed
Portugal	Magusto — roasted chestnuts and new wine; warm “St. Martin’s summer” weather
Italy	Biscuits, roasted chestnuts and tasting the new wine (“San Martino, ogni mosto diventa vino”)
Croatia & Slovenia	The “baptism” of the new wine, when must officially becomes wine
Rhineland, Germany	The Carnival season officially begins at 11:11 a.m. on 11.11
Scotland (historic)	Martinmas was a term day for paying rents and hiring farm workers

👉 Also in Poland on November 11: Poland Independence Day

Make a Simple St. Martin’s Lantern

1. Take a clean jam jar or a paper cylinder.
2. Cover it with coloured tissue paper using diluted glue.
3. Add cut-out stars, moons or leaves.
4. Attach a wire handle and hang it from a stick.
5. Use a battery-operated LED light for safety.

Ideas to Celebrate St. Martin’s Day

• Join a local lantern walk or create one with neighbours.
• Cook a goose or duck dinner with red cabbage and dumplings.
• Roast chestnuts with friends.
• Share something warm — donate a coat or blanket to someone in need, just as Martin did.
• Read the story of St. Martin to children.

👉 Same day: Remembrance Day — November 11

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