Mārtiņi () or Mārtiņdiena is an ancient Latvian winter welcoming holiday, when the time of

pieguļa Pieguļa (; in Latvia) or naktigonė (in Lithuania) was an ancient tradition of grazing common types of Equidae, horses during night, that existed about until the early 20th century. After winter, the grazing horses were released on their own for th ...

and shepherding came to an end. According to a solar calendar, Mārtiņdiena marks the midpoint between the autumnal equinox (

Miķeļi Miķeļi () or Miķeļdiena is a Latvian autumn equinox and annual harvest festival and market. Latvian Miķeļi dainas referred to good and rich husbands as bread fathers, who are associated with the autumn harvest ripening. In different regions, ...

) and winter solstice (

Ziemassvētki Ziemassvētki (), also Ziemsvētki is an annual festival in Latvia which observes the winter solstice and birth of Jesus Christ. Latvians around the world celebrate it from 24 to 25 December. 24 December is Ziemassvētku vakars (Christmas Eve, lit ...

), and is celebrated in the middle of November. Mārtiņi ended Veļu laiks (Time of the Dead) and started Ledus laiks (Time of Ice), when the swamp became passable and raids of armed men sitting on horses were expected.

Relationship with St. Martin's cult

The holiday has already acquired its name before the 16th century, during which happened the

reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...

of churches by Livonian Order's sacred memorial day in honor of a

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

soldier

Martin Martin may refer to: Places Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Europe * Martin, Croatia, a village * Martin, Slovakia, a city * Martín del Río, Aragón, Spain * M ...

(''Martinus''), who sat on the horse, offering his cloak to a poor man suffering from coldness. Then he learned through dreams, that it was

Jesus Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

himself. Christian legend tells, that Martin did not want to become a bishop and hid away in the

poultry Poultry () are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of harvesting animal products such as meat, Eggs as food, eggs or feathers. The practice of animal husbandry, raising poultry is known as poultry farming. These birds are most typ ...

barn, however, the local church nationals meanwhile walked around and they discovered him because of poultry's noisiness. Therefore, the Latvian Mārtiņi beliefs and predictions are not only associated with horses and clothes, but also with poultry slaughter and Children of Mārtiņi march.

Mārtiņi traditional legends

Prediction with clothes

"Maidens on Mārtiņi's Eve have to throw a skirt in the middle of the room before going to sleep; who picks it up it in a dream will marry." "On Mārtiņi's Eve all clothes which were worn on that day, must be left on the floor; who picks them up during the night will be the right mate."

Rooster slaughter

In the evening, before Mārtiņi, in honor of stables they sacrificed a rooster, believing that would prevent horses from catching a disease in the winter. Pēteris Šmits's compiled "Latvian folk beliefs" found in following ancient ritual descriptions: " .he landlord took a rooster, brought it to the horse stables, stopped in front of one horse and bypassed the rooster around the horse in circles, towards the sun, instead of along the sun. Once it was done to every horses, who were located in the stable, then the landlord killed the rooster, holding it over a bushel of oats and nearly drenching it with blood. These oats with blood were poured into a manger, from which every horses got to eat. With rooster's bloody head and neck the stable's jamb and lintel were smeared, and drew a cross on the floor. . (1832) "On Mārtiņvakarā, they took a loaf of bread and went to the horse stable. There they slaughtered a rooster and with its blood tarnished the left hind leg of each horse. After that a loaf of bread with the rooster were carried around horses, then the horses would not be smitten with evil spirits and their random incubus."

Children of Mārtiņi walking around

On Mārtiņi mask marches helped with Mārtiņi's healing and pedestrians with Mārtiņi's children or mārtiņiem: "On Mārtiņi Eve the youth dressed up and walked around asking for gifts, which then all together were poured." (1781) "On Mārtiņi Eve the Mārtiņi children chased Mārtiņi with sticks." If Children of Mārtiņi flogged someone from home team, then do not run away under the bed, because then all his life a man will be fearful." "On Mārtiņi Eve, men went through the village, dressed in clipped fur coats as someone from evil side and girded with belts of braided straw, and also stuck a tail to buttocks; they went to frighten children, in order to make them learn and listen to their parents." (1852)"Latvian folk beliefs" (1940-1941) No. 19490
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Mārtiņi traditions in Latvian dainas

Mārtiņdiena traditions in other countries

Traditions of Mārtiņi Day are known by many citizens of

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

an countries.

Germans Germans (, ) are the natives or inhabitants of Germany, or sometimes more broadly any people who are of German descent or native speakers of the German language. The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, constitution of Germany, imple ...

call this celebration ''Martinstag'',

Englishmen The English people are an ethnic group and nation native to England, who speak the English language, a West Germanic language, and share a common ancestry, history, and culture. The English identity began with the Anglo-Saxons, when they we ...

call it ''Martinmas'', Swedish - ''Mårtensafton'', Danes - ''Mortensdag'', Finns - ''Martinpäivä'', while Estonians call it ''Mardipäev''. Since

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

, this holiday is associated with the horse cult and knight traditions. In Austria, Germany and Netherlands, on Mārtiņi Eve happens a solemn children processions with candles and lanterns. The traditional festive meal on this day is a roasted goose.

References

External links

Ancient Latvian solar calendar

With fieldwork done, it’s time for Mārtiņi
{{DEFAULTSORT:Martini Observances in Latvia Public holidays in Latvia November observances Autumn in Latvia