St. Martin

We have homework! The 1st assignment for the kindergarten, collect 10-15 leaves and press them in a book. Once again, I was only told the day before, but I decide to do it with M. and soon realize that all the leaves she picks up are either dirty, torn, or defected. I am already thinking of final result, the perfect paper lantern for Nov. 11.




November 11,is the feast day of St. Martin of Tours. He started out as a Roman soldier was baptized as an adult and became a monk. It is understood that he was a kind man who led a quiet and simple life. The most famous legend of his life is that he once cut his cloak in half to share with a beggar during a snowstorm, to save the beggar from dying of the cold.

A fresco of San Martin de Tours by Simone Martini

So on Feast of St. Martin, Martinstag or Martinmas, children in Germany participate in paper lantern processions. Often, a man dressed as St. Martin rides on a horse in front of the procession. The children sing songs about St. Martin and about their lanterns. The food traditionally eaten on the day is goose. According to legend, Martin was reluctant to become bishop, which is why he hid in a stable filled with geese. The noise made by the geese betrayed his location to the people who were looking for him.









The processional 'train' ends with a little feast of sweets (biscuits and fruit) and of course Glühwein (Mulled wine) to keep us warm, yum!

In Italy, the saint day was associated to the new wine. My mom told me of a saying in her dialect:"si prova (u vin) e si pilla". (you try the wine and tap it). So tonight, in honour of our new tradition (my mom also says "paese che vai, usanza che trovi" the country you go to, the customs you find ) and thanks to my friend D, I tried out this recipe .... what can I say, I couldn't find a goose!

Tradition Thrives

200 years of tradition, in other words, Oktoberfest. It all began with a wedding, the royal wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig, later to become King Ludwig I, and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen on 12th October 1810. The citizens of Munich were invited to attend the festivities held on the fields in front of the city gates to celebrate the happy royal event. The fields have been named Theresienwiese ("Theresa's fields") in honor of the Crown Princess ever since, although the locals simply refer to it as the "Wies'n". At that time, horse races marked the close of the event that was celebrated as a festival for the whole of Bavaria. A good time was had by all, so that they decided to repeat it annually.


Gradually with time, along with the agricultural fair, beer was introduced so visitors could quench their thirst and in 1896 the beer stands were replaced by the first beer tents and halls set up by enterprising landlords with the backing of the breweries. The rest of the grounds were occupied by amuzement (carrousels , rides, swings etc).

The festivties begin with a weekend filled with parades, the first being the Grand entry of the Oktoberfest landlords and breweries where decorated carriages, the magnificent horse-drawn drays of the Munich breweries, waitresses on decorated floats and all the beer tent bands parade.











And G. would like to point out that they (the people on the floats) are not pretending to drink their beer at 10am!


The following day , Oktoberfest Costume and Riflemen's Parade and almost everyone is out in their drindl and lederhosen (I will explain the clothes in another post)






M. and her carriage!











M and I cheering on...God save the queen, and princess for that matter!