Martinmas
Saint Martin’s Day • Old Halloween
A Lantern-Lit Feast to Honor the Arrival of Winter
About Martinmas
Martinmas offers a lantern-lit retreat from the clamor of daily life, an intimate celebration inspired by St. Martin of Tours. Known for his kindness and service, St. Martin is best remembered for cutting his cloak in half to warm a freezing beggar (a gesture said to have prompted a vision of Christ). In another story, he hides in a barn to avoid being named bishop, only to be betrayed by a gaggle of honking geese. Today, Martinmas invites friends and family to gather by candlelight, share hearty food, and reflect on the season’s gifts. As lanterns glow and wine is poured, guests take turns giving thanks for whatever moves them: a borrowed coat returned with something in the pocket, or a humble meal made memorable by the circle of companions gathered there.
Ways to observe
(A) Low effort
Light a single candle in your window at sundown. As it flickers in the growing dark, take a moment to remember someone who once shared warmth with you.
(B) Recommended
Share a humble meal with one or two others. Soup, bread, and wine. Begin by reading aloud the story of St. Martin and his cloak. Then, as the lantern light softens the room, offer a toast to those who give more than they’re asked.
(C) High effort
Host a Lantern Walk. Invite neighbors or friends to craft or bring lanterns and walk a twilight path together. End at someone’s porch or yard for warm drinks and a few minutes to name your gratitude.
Inspiration
The greatest acts of generosity usually have a hint of absurdity to them. St. Martin doesn’t buy the beggar a coat or take him to a warming center. He just takes a sword and slices his own cloak in half. This is a man possessed by kindness, but who has zero capacity for long-term planning. The beggar is slightly warmer, Martin is definitely colder, and neither of them has a properly functioning coat. But that’s kind of the point. His most famous gesture isn’t a tidy parable about charity. It’s about a man so moved by compassion that he acts without regard for outcome or optics. The geese, honking traitors that they are, only reinforce the theme. Here is someone trying to retreat from recognition, from hierarchy, from the very idea of being put in charge. His goodness makes him unreliable to the systems that would elevate him. He’s a holy fool, guided not by policy or self-preservation, but by a kind of divine impulse that bypasses common sense. Today, we honor that foolish impulse. The one that says: give more than you should, without calculating why.
Adornments
Watch
The Way (2010)
A grieving father walks the Camino de Santiago after his son’s death, burdened with more than the backpack on his shoulders. What begins as a solitary journey becomes a meditation on memory and the long road to grace.
The Return (2003)
Two boys, one estranged father, and a bleak Russian wilderness. What unfolds is a parable disguised as a psychological thriller. It's an austere, absorbing story about obedience and the weight of becoming a man.
Listen
Lux Aeterna by Morten Lauridsen
This choral piece is spare and solemn, with harmonies that build slowly and hold their weight. The final “light eternal” resolves into a soft shimmer that will give you goosebumps.
Be Thou My Vision (Gaelic arrangement)
An old Irish hymn that feels like lanterns in fog. A fitting accompaniment to a feast where the spirit of St. Martin is the honored guest.
Read
The Rule of St. Benedict by Translated by Peter Northcutt
Written in the sixth century, this monastic guide offers calm, clear advice for building a kind and orderly life. Its emphasis on hospitality and humble service feels especially relevant on Martinmas.
The Book of Delights by Ross Gay
A collection of brief, luminous essays about everyday joy and surprise. Gay’s voice is openhearted and observant, turning ordinary moments into something worth savoring.
Share
Host a “One Warm Thing” Drive
Invite guests to bring a single warm item—coat, hat, blanket—for someone in need. Tell the story of St. Martin and his cloak, then pass the warmth along. Keep a few extra items on hand so everyone can participate.