The days are getting shorter, the light is fading, and the chilly temperatures remind us that autumn is gradually turning into winter. Such a gloomy time of year, but do not despair! Saint Martin’s festival is just around the corner ready to bring some cheer into our lives.
On November 11th (or on the preceding or following weekends) the tradition is to gorge on corn-fed roast goose and sample St. Martins wine, which is young wine that has only been fermenting for a few weeks. Traditionally, the first bottle should be opened at precisely 11:11 am on the eleventh day in the eleventh month. Pubs, restaurants, and wine cellars across the country offer a special menu over the St. Martin’s weekend and often tables are fully booked. There are also some outdoor events, such as the Goose Fest in Prague’s Smíchovská Náplavka, where visitors can sample pancakes cooked in goose fat, and in the square of Jiřího z Poděbrad, where Bohemian and Moravian winemakers bring their young wines for visitors to taste. There is a local saying (“Martin is coming on a white horse”), which signifies that this is the time when we can expect the first snowfall. Indeed, in many European countries, the festival of St. Martin used to officially mark the end of the autumn harvest and the start of the winter season. Legend has it that the saint, trying to escape being ordained as a bishop, ran into a pen of geese, where their loud crackling gave him away. The festival originated in France and has been widely adopted in many European countries, although it never took off in Britain. This is possibly because it clashes with Remembrance Day, which also falls on November 11th (the day when the armistice ending the First World War was signed in 1918), and is a time when we commemorate the sacrifice made by British and overseas service men and women who lost their lives in all the wars since World War 1. However, the main ceremonies take place on the second Sunday in November. Perhaps Thanksgiving, which is celebrated in America at the end of November, is closer to the spirit of St. Martins. Although the origins are different, both festivals celebrate the abundance of the harvest. As for me, I like roast goose and dumplings, although I prefer roast duck, and I’m not so keen on young wine as it’s far too sour for my taste. Instead, I prefer to wash the meal down with a glass or two of good Czech beer! Glossary chilly: cold gloomy: depressing / dark just around the corner: coming soon gorge on: eat a lot of corn-fed roast goose: kukuřicí krmená pečená husa ferment: kvasit wine cellar: vinný sklep sample: try (some food or drink) winemaker: vinař Legend has it: According to legend ordained as a bishop: vysvěcen na biskupa crackle: noise that geese make when they are excited took off (take off): became popular clash with: happen at the same time (as something else) commemorate: připomínat abundance: hojnost harvest: sklizeňssklizeňklsklizeňizeň sour: kyselý wash a meal down with (beer): zapít (spláchnout) jídlo pivem
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Englishman in PragueThis blog is especially for Czech learners of English. Each article features a Czech tradition or a popular Czech pastime. You'll find lots of vocabulary in each article: useful phrases are in bold and translated in the glossary below. |
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