On November 11th, St. Martin’s Day is celebrated, a feast that has given rise to many popular traditions in Veneto, all closely connected to the time of year in which the saint is commemorated: autumn.
The celebration, which falls at the end of the agricultural year and the beginning of the winter season, gave birth to many traditions linked to farming activities and rural life. In those days the harvest is completed, and in the barrels the grape must is ready for racking.
In Italy, and especially in Veneto, devotion to the saint is also associated with the so-called “St. Martin’s summer” at the beginning of November. This expression refers to a period in autumn when fine weather and relative mildness regularly occur. Hence the idea of St. Martin’s summer and the proverb:
“St. Martin’s summer lasts three days and a little more.”
