Old Hallowe’en was on November 11th, which is also known as Martinmas, the Feast Day of St Martin of Tours. Saint Martin, a Roman soldier, cut his cloak in half and gave one half to a shivering beggar. A kind and very practical action. He was said to have shown kindness to fellow soldiers too. After a dream in which Christ appeared in a vision, Martin became a Christian. He later became Bishop of Tours where he founded a monastery but he is said to have lived life simply. Armistice Day is observed on Martinmas, Martlemas or Middle English Martinmesse .
Fiona, this is FASCINATING and such a beautiful tribute to the day as a whole. Thank you so much for providing so many breadcrumbs for me to follow!
I'm especially interested in the treasure-trove of the Diet Roll of St Swithun’s Priory - I have a deep abiding love for refectorian & churchwarden accounts. Also, the land of St. Martin! What! I must dig in.
Fiona, this reminds me of two other customs: in Italy, San Martino is the day when ogni mosto diventa vino, the grape must, from grapes harvested in September, should be turned to wine. (I think this is connected with the French celebration of Beaujolais nouveau although that is the 15th of November, but close enough.) And in Madrid, when I lived there in the mid- to late-60's, San Martino was when every man donned a cape, in honor of the saint who divided his cloak with a beggar. And those capes were splendid--handsome black broadcloth lined with dark red and dark green velvet. I don't know what those colors signified but it was the custom also to throw one side of the cape back over the gentleman's shoulder to show off those colors. In my experience that custom is completely unknown in Spain today, 50 years on. How times change!
What a wonderful post again. All I knew about St Martins before this is that he was owed five farthings! Although I think the St Martin-in-the-Fields Christmas appeal supporting the homeless and vulnerable is a more recent tradition (since 1920) it certainly seems in the spirit you describe.
Really timely at a time of remembrance to reflect that the scourge of wars has plagued mankind since before WWI but that a figure of Christian charity has been associated with November 11 even before the armistice.
Fiona, this is FASCINATING and such a beautiful tribute to the day as a whole. Thank you so much for providing so many breadcrumbs for me to follow!
I'm especially interested in the treasure-trove of the Diet Roll of St Swithun’s Priory - I have a deep abiding love for refectorian & churchwarden accounts. Also, the land of St. Martin! What! I must dig in.
Fiona, this reminds me of two other customs: in Italy, San Martino is the day when ogni mosto diventa vino, the grape must, from grapes harvested in September, should be turned to wine. (I think this is connected with the French celebration of Beaujolais nouveau although that is the 15th of November, but close enough.) And in Madrid, when I lived there in the mid- to late-60's, San Martino was when every man donned a cape, in honor of the saint who divided his cloak with a beggar. And those capes were splendid--handsome black broadcloth lined with dark red and dark green velvet. I don't know what those colors signified but it was the custom also to throw one side of the cape back over the gentleman's shoulder to show off those colors. In my experience that custom is completely unknown in Spain today, 50 years on. How times change!
What a wonderful post again. All I knew about St Martins before this is that he was owed five farthings! Although I think the St Martin-in-the-Fields Christmas appeal supporting the homeless and vulnerable is a more recent tradition (since 1920) it certainly seems in the spirit you describe.
Really timely at a time of remembrance to reflect that the scourge of wars has plagued mankind since before WWI but that a figure of Christian charity has been associated with November 11 even before the armistice.
Wonderful post