Mārtiņdiena: how Latvia marks St Martin’s Day and the start of winter

Latvians mark Mārtiņdiena, or Mārtiņi, on Tuesday 10 November. The folk holiday falls roughly halfway between Miķeļi, the autumn festival in late September, and Christmas, and traditionally divides autumn from winter. By this date farm work was meant to be finished: the harvest was in, the animals were in the barn and the household was ready for the long winter.

Customs

• Masked processions. Mārtiņdiena opens the season of ķekatas, or budēļi, which runs until Meteņi, the Latvian Shrovetide. Mummers in bear, goat, wolf, crane, horse or death masks went from farm to farm, making noise and singing to bring a blessing, and the hosts gave them food and drink.
• Rooster and goose. In the past a rooster was killed at Mārtiņi as part of rituals meant to protect the horses and the household. Later, under German influence, goose became the more common dish.
• A rich table. After the harvest the table had to be generous — meat, beans, peas, root vegetables, pies, pancakes and beer — so that the whole coming year would be as plentiful.
• Weather lore. A clear Mārtiņdiena is said to bring early frost, and snow on the roof a long winter.

In the Christian calendar the day is linked to St Martin of Tours, a 4th-century bishop, and to the reformer Martin Luther, who was born on 10 November.

Name days

Latvia’s name-day calendar is widely observed. On 10 November it is the turn of Mārtiņš, Mārcis, Markuss and Marks; the extended calendar also lists names such as Marko, Markus and Martins. On Wednesday, Lāčplēsis Day, Ojārs, Rainers and Nellija celebrate.

What is on in Riga

Riga’s biggest Mārtiņdiena events took place at the weekend: the Latvian Ethnographic Open-Air Museum held its Mārtiņdiena celebration with a masked procession on Saturday, 7 November. On the day itself, the main event in the capital devoted to folk tradition is an anniversary concert.

Skandinieki, a folk group founded on 11 November 1976 by Helmī and Dainis Stalts and one of the pioneers of Latvia’s folklore movement, marks its 50th anniversary with the concert “Gaisma. Tumsa. Pārtapšana” (Light. Darkness. Transformation) at the Riga Circus on Merķeļa Street at 18:00 on Tuesday. The programme combines traditional singing, storytellers, instrumental music, aerial acrobatics, contemporary dance and video projections. Krāce, Vilkači, Otaņķi, Dimzēns, Senleja, Ceiruleits and Suitu dūdenieki will perform alongside Skandinieki, with guests from Lithuania and Estonia, Kūlgrinda and Lüü-Türr. Entry is by invitation.

For families, the children’s vocal studio Knīpas un Knauķi gives a Mārtiņdiena concert, “Sanākat, sanākat, lieli un mazi!” (Gather round, big and small!), in the Grand Hall of the Ziemeļblāzma Palace of Culture at 18:00 on Thursday 12 November.

The customs are easy to try at home: a mask made from whatever is in the cupboard, a song at a neighbour’s door and a generous dinner table.