Legend says that, on a cold and rainy day, a soldier from Rome named Martino, while riding his horse, saw a man on the road almost freezing because of the low temperature. Martino really wanted to help the man, but he didn’t have enough money to do so.
The only thing he could think of was to cut his cloak, keeping half for himself and giving the other part to the man. He was so happy for what he had done that, as soon as he said goodbye and took his way back home, the sky became blue and the sun started to shine again. Legend also says that, overnight, Martino dreamt of Jesus holding his cloak. Martino became, for Christians, the saint of generosity and humility.
The feast is very popular in the Veneto region, where November 11 becomes a moment to taste chestnuts and novello wine. This is also the reason of the Italian saying “A San Martino, ogni mosto diventa vino”, literally translated as “On San Martino’s day, must turns into wine”.
This day is also a great moment for children to have fun: they run from calle to calle asking for a few cents or candy to retailers and to people walking by. That money is then used to buy traditional Venetian sweets: either a pastry in the shape of the saint on horseback with sword and cloak, garnished with coloured sugar icing, chocolates, candies or the older version, a sweet quince.
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