Long live Saint Martin!

Only those who were children in a Venice profoundly different from today can grasp the meaning of a date as seemingly insignificant as November 11.

November 11th marks the feast of Saint Martin, and in Venice, it’s a beloved tradition to gift a special shortcrust pastry shaped like a horse ridden by the saint – sword raised, cloak flying in the wind. This festive treat is decorated with colorful sugar glaze, candy, pralines, and chocolates. Some versions are even coated in rich chocolate. The celebration falls during what Italians call the “Summer of Saint Martin,” a brief warm spell that follows the first autumn frosts. Historically, this popular festival involved roasting chestnuts and drinking new wine, while singing under windows in hopes that residents would toss down more chestnuts.
Today, children keep the tradition alive by clanging pots and lids together – borrowed from home – and parading through streets and squares, asking shopkeepers and passersby for coins or sweets. As they make noise, they sing a playful rhyme that recalls the saint’s legendary generosity: “Oh, what smells from the pot!/If you’ve eaten well, good for you./If you’ve had good wine,/Let’s sing for Saint Martin./Saint Martin came to us/Because he brings charity./Even when he had little,/He still gave to others./Be careful, we are many,/And we’re all quite hungry!/Don’t give too little,/Or we’ll stick around a while!”
If generosity is shown, the children respond with gratitude: “And with this, we thank you/For your kind heart and spirit./We’ll return next year/If the good Lord allows./And with our little bag:/Long live Saint Martin!” But if the offering is stingy, a humorous “curse” is sung: “So many nails in this door,/May the devils carry you!/So many nails in this wall,/May pimples grow on your rear end!”

[Published in VeNews 150, November 2010]