Celebrated throughout the Veneto region on November 11th, Saint Martin’s day has given rise to many popular traditions, idioms and poems. Although some of these traditions have disappeared, others still endure today. They are all closely linked to autumn, the season when the Saint is celebrated.
Falling at the end of the agricultural year and at the onset of the winter season, this celebration gave rise to many traditions linked to the rural world and farming life. During this period, the fruit harvest was completed and the must in the barrels was ready for racking.
The famous Veneto proverb, “A San Martin el mosto se fa vin” (At Saint Martin’s, the must turns into wine) perfectly captures this moment. Historically synonymous with conviviality, gatherings, and feasts, this festive atmosphere lives on today in Veneto through a rich calendar of local festivals, fairs, and events.
However, Saint Martin’s Day was not merely a time for celebration, but also represented a period of profound and radical change. Indeed, this anniversary marked crucial deadlines for the rural world, including the end of the working year, and the subsequent renewal of agricultural contracts and leases for lands, pastures, and woods. Therefore, the landowner’s decision to renew a lease or change tenants sealed the fate of many families and entire communities. In the event of a non-renewal, sharecroppers were forced to leave the land and seek a new master, facing all the hardships of sudden relocation. It is precisely from this rural ritual that the idiom “fare San Martino” was born, becoming a synonym for moving house.
Such a moment for the economy and stability of families also gave rise to another famous local proverb: “San Martin viene ‘na volta a l’ano, s’el vegnesse ogni mese el saria a’ rovina del paese” (Saint Martin comes once a year, if he came every month, it would be the ruin of the village).
Furthermore, in Italy and Veneto, the devotion to the Saint is closely linked to the so-called “estate di San Martino” (“Saint Martin’s Summer”). It is the name used to describe the autumn period in which weather conditions of good weather and relative warmth are thought to occur, often during Saint Martin week. This phenomenon inspired the proverb: “L’istà de San Martin dura tre dì e un pochettin” (Saint Martin’s summer lasts three days and a little bit).
Finally, another tradition linked to November 11th emerges, though it has now almost completely vanished: the custom of young children roaming through neighbourhoods and squares, making noise by clattering pot lids, pans, and cowbells. This was done to grab people’s attention and receive sweets or small coins in return. This lively custom gave birth to many nursery rhymes, including one of Venetian origin featured below.
