Overview
What is Martinstag?
An autumn festival honouring the feast day of Saint Martin of Tours, celebrated each year on the 11th of November with lantern processions, bonfires, and traditional meals.
Date
November 11th
The feast day of Saint Martin, also marking the end of the harvest season and the start of Advent preparations.
Symbol
The Lantern
Food
Martinsgans
Tradition
Lantern Parade
Origin
316 AD
Saint Martin shares his cloak with a beggar outside Amiens — the founding act of generosity the festival commemorates.
The Story
What is Martinstag?
Martinstag is a Christian and cultural feast day celebrated on November 11th. It honours Saint Martin of Tours, a Roman soldier who became one of the most beloved saints of the Middle Ages. The festival centres on his legendary act of cutting his military cloak in half to share with a freezing beggar — a gesture that became a symbol of compassion and generosity across generations.
Today the occasion is marked by children carrying handmade lanterns in evening processions, singing traditional songs, and sharing a roast goose dinner — known as Martinsgans — with family.
Regions & Countries
Who Celebrates It?
Germany
Rhineland · Bavaria · NRW
Austria
Nationwide
Switzerland
German-speaking cantons
Netherlands
Sint Maarten · Nov 11
How It's Observed
Traditions
Evening
Lantern Procession
Children carry handmade paper lanterns through darkened streets, led by a rider on horseback portraying Saint Martin.
Feast
Martinsgans
A roast goose dinner shared with family, traditionally accompanied by red cabbage and dumplings.
Baked Good
Weckmänner
Bread-dough figures shaped like little men, given to children after the parade.
