The celebration of San Martino, one of the most traditional Venetian feast, brings back the kids to the streets of the city, looking for sweets and money
As it is from a very long time, on the 11th of November in
Venice is celebrated the
feast of San Martino, one of the most folkloristic and traditional celebration of the city. While the meaning of the feast, that is sharing, kindness and compassion, values personified by San Martino, has never changed with the passing of time, the way of living and celebrate this event has experienced many changes.
Initially for the
celebration of San Martino were eaten typical products such as chesnuts with wine, because in the Christian tradition the day of San Martino corresponded with the second to last before the beginning of a long period of penance and without food that accompanied the believers up to Christmas. For the rural world it corresponded with the end of the agricultural year.
With the passing of time the meaning that the celebration had for the Christian and rural tradition got lost; so no more typical autumn products eating, they've been substituted by the
typical sweet of the
celebration: the San Martino. Also this sweet had changed within the years, at the beginning it didn't represent the Saint and was made of quince.
Nowadays in the pastry shops and in the houses of the Venetians we can find the
sweets of San Martino of many different sizes and shapes, covered of candies, sweets and chocolate. The kids, frequently accompanied by their grandfathers or their teachers, walk through the streets of the city, getting into the shops beating pots and covers singing a rhyme, and asking for an offer in order to buy a San Martino, or to earn some money or some sweets. The
celebration of San Martino can be considered as the
Venetian equivalent of Halloween.
There are two versions of
the rhyme; the most traditional one, that often is teached to the kids by their grandfathers, is this one:
“San Martin xe nda’ in soffita (San Martino went to the attic)
a trovar ea nona Riitta, (to meet his grandmother Rita)
nona Ritta no a ghe geera (grandmother Rita wasn't there)
san Martin col cuo par teera,“ (san Martino with his behind on the floor).
The most modern version says:
“San Martin xe nda’ in soffita (San Martino went to the attic)
a trovar ea so novissa, (to meet his girlfriend)
so novissa no ghe gera (his girlfriend wasn't there)
san Martin casca par tera, (san Martino fell to the ground)
e col nostro sacchetin, (and with our little bag)
cari signori xe san martin, (dear Sirs is San Martino)
FORA EL SOLDIN!!!” (out the coins).
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