Get your Goose and Wine on Saint Martin’s Day!

November 11th is Den svatého Martina or Saint Martin’s Day which is celebrated in the Czech Republic by drinking young wine and eating goose. It also typically is accompanied by the first frost of the season—watch out snow might be coming!

This celebration ties together what all Czechs love: food, drinking, and spending time together. Restaurants all around the country will have goose on their menu as the star of the St. Martin’s show. But how did this tradition come to pass?

Saint Martin of Tours was a Roman soldier from what is now Hungary. He was canonized and known for his acts of compassion and generosity—he famously cut his cloak in half to share with a freezing beggar. The day celebrating him traditionally falls on the post-harvest time of feasts and the start of Christmas preparations.

Now to the goose: this dates back to an old legend when, hiding among a flock of geese, Martin wished to avoid becoming the new bishop. However, their loud honking gave the stranger away and cemented his association with geese. Additionally, because this was a time where farmers would be taking home more money due to the harvest, eating meat—rare in the typical diet at the time—was a way to celebrate.

The feast you can expect at any restaurant will include a slowly roasted goose with sides of dumplings and cabbage, though each place will have their own twist. Also accompanying the food is St. Martin’s very own wine, the first wine of the most recent harvest.

At exactly 11:11 on November 11th, winemakers and enthusiasts all over the country will uncork the first bottle of wine, so prepare yourself with a bottle found at most grocery stores this time of year. You can expect a fresh and slightly sparkling taste with a lower alcohol content.

Get your first taste of a Czech holiday and enjoy the feast!

Photos by Prague EU & Prague Morning