St. Martin's Day

When visiting Italy, do not be surprised by all the magnificent celebrations. One in particular, St. Martin’s Day, is held in November and a time when the children run through the streets while banging on pots and pans with wooden spoons. The tradition is that as the children pass by, they are handed a few coins. To complete the celebration, special cakes are baked in honor of St. Martin.

The history is that a bishop named Martin was born in Sabaria around 316. Then sometime around 397, he died in Candes, Touraine. When Martin was just a young boy, this bishop’s father was a military man who had been transferred to Pavia, Italy. Martin traveled about with his father and when he was a teenager, he enrolled in the Roman army according to the current recruiting laws.

People were immediately touched by his eagerness to serve and his grace, especially at such a young age. Martin became interested in Christianity, leading to him having great favor in the camps. Soon, he was moved to Amiens in Gaul, which became the location of the celebrated legend of the cloak. One cold day, Martin met a beggar man at the front gate, sitting there shivering and half-naked. Move by overwhelming compassion for the man, Martin took off his coat, divided it in two, and gave one to the man. The half of the coat that kept Martin warm is the famous relic now carefully preserved in the oratory of the Frankish kings called, St. Martin’s Cloak.

Keep in mind that Martin at this time was still only a catechumen. However, he was soon baptized and then eventually freed from military service when at the Worms on the Rhine. Once free, Martin headed for Poitiers where he would enroll among the disciples of St. Hilary, a wise bishop already passing past the Gaul frontier. Eager to see his mom and dad, Martin returned to Lombardy across the famous Alps. At this time, the inhabitants were infested with Arianism, making them very bitter toward Catholicism. Therefore, because Martin was proud of his faith and stood for what he believed, he was treated very badly, as ordered by Bishop Auxentius of Milan.

Wanting to return to Gaul, but understanding that this was a troubled country by the Arians and having been succeeded in exiling St. Hilary to the Orient, Martin decided to find shelter on the island of Gallianaria, today’s Isola d’Albenga. Very soon, Martin learned that an imperial decree had come down, allowing St. Hilary to return to Gaul so he hurried back to be his chosen master in 361. At that time, Martin received permission from St. Hilary to embrace so some degree, a solitary life in the deserted region of what we know today as Liguge. Soon, others followed Martin’s lead with a large number of monks gathering around him.

Martin stayed ten years in solitude, often preaching the gospel in various parts of Gaul. In 371, the second bishop of Tours, St. Lidorius died. The clergy urged Martin to return to replace him but he did not feel this was his calling. However, a rich Tours citizen begged Martin to come to help him prepare for his wife’s death. Not being suspicious, Martin followed but immediately upon entering the city, he was pushed by many dignitaries into becoming the Bishop of the Church of Tours. On July 4, he was consecrated St. Martin and while his title changed, his way of life did not. He left the large city, choosing instead to settle in a small cell close to the city. Other hermits joined him and soon, a new monastery was formed, far greater than Liguge. Called Marmoutier, the sign remains today. During his last visit to Rome, St. Martin died there around the age of 81, leaving behind a legacy of kindness and dedication to the people.

To honor this legacy, St. Martin’s Day is a time of kindness and celebration for all that St. Martin did, as well as what those trained under him accomplished. Watching the children is exciting as they walk around the streets after dark, carrying lanterns, banging on pots and pans, and singing special songs. If you were to compare it to a westernized holiday, it would be somewhat like Halloween where the children are handed coins and sometimes, other treats for entertaining and singing.


Last Updated: 10/19/2006 3:14:00 PM

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