Do these things really go together?
In fact, Carnival and St. Martin’s Day are two customs that have similar origins for many centuries.
Bishop Martin of Tours died on November 8, 397, and was buried three days later. This was a huge event, and explains why November 11 is celebrated, and not the day of his death. The story of how Martin shared his cloak with a beggar when he was a soldier in the Roman army became the most famous story about the saint’s life.
He is one of the few saints who received this status not as a martyr, but because of his charity and Christian lifestyle. His charity made him a popular patron saint not only of the poor, but also of artisans, wine producers, and farmers.
end of agricultural year
In the Middle Ages, St. Martin’s Day, coming a few days after the harvest festival, marked the end of the agricultural year. The harvest had been brought in, the grapes had been picked, the tribute had been paid (usually with fatted geese), and the wages had been paid.
After the slaughter of animals for winter provision, a celebration was held in which people were allowed to consume large quantities of perishable foods such as meat, eggs and dairy products on this day before a period of fasting ordered by the Church.
Borrowed before Christmas?
Today it is difficult to imagine that people used to fast before Christmas. Consumerism and the Christmas markets with their lavish offerings, from Christmas cookies and sausages to mulled wine and eggnog, show nothing of this tradition remains.
However, in previous centuries, Advent was a period of strict fasting for Christians, much like the period before Easter.
It will begin after November 11 and last for six weeks as a quiet preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.
Over time, the commandment to fast during Advent was further relaxed, until the Roman Catholic Church abolished it in 1917.
last hurray before arrival
Before things get serious with penance and abstinence, people will be allowed to go wild one last time, eating, drinking, dancing, and celebrating enthusiastically on a date that, coincidentally, also makes fun of the church. The number 11 not only symbolizes the burial of St. Martin, but it also lies between two sacred numbers for Christianity: 10 for the 10 Commandments and 12 for the 12 Apostles. 11 disrupted this divine order, so that in time it became associated with fools and jesters.
Carnival begins at 11:11 am on November 11. In the heartlands of the Rhineland, revelers loudly celebrate the start of Carnival – but then from November 12, it goes into hiding before reappearing in January. Then the first events begin, culminating in a colorful street carnival in February, which is celebrated for six days and ends once again on Ash Wednesday.
Saint Martin and the Fool: Opposites Attract
So while the church honors St. Martin of Tours on November 11, and children parade the streets with lanterns and brass bands and sing candies at front doors, carnival revelers celebrate joie de vivre and freedom at the top of their voices on the same day before the more contemplative Advent season begins.
The two different feasts scheduled on the same day complement each other: the first celebrates charity and light, while the second, celebrates cheerfulness and laughter.
November 11th is a date full of paradoxes and that’s what helps make it so special. It reminds us of compassion and humanity, of sharing. And sometimes life is just meant to be celebrated.
This article was originally written in German.
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