Medieval holiday, anyone?
Next Thursday is 11/11, which was/is St. Martin's Day, still celebrated in Catholic areas, but much more important in medieval times.
Apart from St. Martin of Tours being a very popular saint through the middle ages in his own right, with many churches dedicated to his name and celebrations on his day, it was the last day before the forty-day fast before Christmas, basically in relation to Christmas what Mardi Gras is in relation to Easter? The feast on that day was/is usually goose, because that's when the surplus geese were slaughtered before winter. By then, it was cold enough (as a rule) that they would keep a while. In the area around Cologne, the Carnival season still officially starts on 11/11, at 11.11 am.
Why am I standing up in the Backroom infodumping all that on you, despite the fact that my two medieval pups are anachronistically atheists?
Because any medieval person would be utterly perplexed if it's St. Martin's Day, and nothing is happening. Nothing at all. Somebody called off St. Martin's?? That's at least as bad as the Sheriff of Nottingham calling off Christmas. Cruel and unusual. Unthinkable.
So, I'm asking all people with medieval pups: would you be interested in having a medieval celebration on that day? Nothing religious, of course, just an ordinary medieval feast-day with roasting geese and quaffing ale and medieval music and (for great meta) lots of THE apple pie? We could keep it in one party post set outside in the evening, with a big fire and torches by the lake shore?
Any takers?
Apart from St. Martin of Tours being a very popular saint through the middle ages in his own right, with many churches dedicated to his name and celebrations on his day, it was the last day before the forty-day fast before Christmas, basically in relation to Christmas what Mardi Gras is in relation to Easter? The feast on that day was/is usually goose, because that's when the surplus geese were slaughtered before winter. By then, it was cold enough (as a rule) that they would keep a while. In the area around Cologne, the Carnival season still officially starts on 11/11, at 11.11 am.
Why am I standing up in the Backroom infodumping all that on you, despite the fact that my two medieval pups are anachronistically atheists?
Because any medieval person would be utterly perplexed if it's St. Martin's Day, and nothing is happening. Nothing at all. Somebody called off St. Martin's?? That's at least as bad as the Sheriff of Nottingham calling off Christmas. Cruel and unusual. Unthinkable.
So, I'm asking all people with medieval pups: would you be interested in having a medieval celebration on that day? Nothing religious, of course, just an ordinary medieval feast-day with roasting geese and quaffing ale and medieval music and (for great meta) lots of THE apple pie? We could keep it in one party post set outside in the evening, with a big fire and torches by the lake shore?
Any takers?