Roast goose, new wine and first snows: Czechia celebrates St. Martin’s Day
November 11th is the feast day of St. Martin in the Christian calendar, a day that brings with it a variety of traditions in Czechia. Most notable among these is a particularly hearty meal, consisting of roast goose, cabbage and dumplings. Danny Bate paid a visit to one Prague pub especially renowned for its St. Martin’s goose, and spoke to some of the diners there.
Among the many saints of medieval Europe, Martin of Tours was one of the heavyweights. Born in what is today Hungary in the early fourth century, Martin at first served in a Roman cavalry unit, following in his father’s footsteps. The legend goes that he was drawn to Christianity at a young age, and later gave up his military career to become a hermit, monk and eventually the bishop of the French city of Tours. Most famously, the young and pious Martin cut up his cloak to share it with a beggar. The relic of that very cloak, known in Latin as a cappa, has since given us words like chapel.
Over the centuries since, Martin has been the saintly patron of a number of professions, churches, cities and even countries. A host of traditions has also developed around his feast day, November 11th, including the Czech proverb of how “Martin comes on a white horse”, referring to the winter snow that has historically begun on the day.
Czechs also look forward to a special dinner of roast goose. One legend explains this meal as a form of payback, getting revenge on the animal whose honking once gave away Martin’s location to people looking for him. The real reason though is probably more practical, as Anna, one St. Martin’s Day diner in Prague this year, explained to me:
“The tradition of eating the St. Martin’s goose was connected to the end of the agricultural season and the harvest. Also, the day after his feast day, six weeks of fasting would start. So, you have one last day of eating, with a nice meal with a lot of meat, and then you have a six-week fast before Christmas.”
The traditional Czech meal is quite a sight. Another diner, Karolína, described the dish in front of her:
“So, today, we’re having goose, and two types of cabbage – one red, one white – and we’re also having two types of dumplings – one made of potato, the other the risen kind. I think it will be delicious, I’m really looking forward to it.”
The traditional drink to go with the roast goose is wine, specifically a fresh, young wine that is the first to be produced from the grapes harvested in a given year. Consequently, the new wine is dry, light, weak in alcohol and not intended to be stored for long. The production of St. Martin’s wine is tightly controlled and monitored by the Czech Wine Fund. However, at this particular Prague pub that is renowned for its St. Martin's Day fare, it was mainly beer that was accompanying the food. A St. Martin’s Day meal will not leave anyone hungry, as fellow diner Albert discussed:
“I think it’s a great occasion. I love the food, and I think it should be made a holiday, because after eating this food, everyone should relax at home and have a free afternoon. Maybe half a day free would be nice.”
St. Martin’s Day may not be as grand or popular an occasion as Christmas, but it is nonetheless a highlight of the Czech calendar. As Bára described to me, it is simply a good reason to bring friends and family together.
“I really do look forward to it, because it’s an opportunity to meet friends, to have a delicious lunch, and to be around people I love. So yes, I really look forward to it.”
