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November 11th - St. Martin's Day.


Born in Hungary, around the year 316, St. Martins of Tours was a Roman soldier who, after receiving baptism and renouncing the militia, founded a monastery in Ligugé, France.

He later received the priestly order and was elected bishop. He died on November 8, 397.

The best-known legend indicates that Tours met a beggar during a snowstorm and, with his sword, cut his mantle in half to share with the beggar and protect him from the rain.

That same night, Martin’s dreamed of Jesus dressed in half his cape and who, pointing to a group of angels, said to him: "It was Catechumen Saint Martin who wrapped me up".

In Portugal, St. Martin's Day is commonly associated with the celebration of the maturation of the year's wine, being traditionally the first day when the new wine can be tasted.

It is celebrated, traditionally around a bonfire, eating the magusto - chestnuts roasted under the embers of the bonfire and drinking a local light alcoholic beverage called água-pé  or the stronger jeropiga.

This period is also quite popular because of the usual good weather period that occurs in Portugal in this time of year, called Verão de São Martinho (St. Martin's Summer).

It is frequently tied to the legend since Portuguese versions of St. Martin's legend usually replace the snowstorm with rain (because snow is not frequent in most parts of Portugal, while rain is common at that time of the year) and have Jesus bringing the end of it, thus making the "summer" a gift from God.


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