Saint Martin of Tours is a beloved soldier saint whose simple act of sharing his cloak has inspired generations. His feast, Martinmas (November 11), celebrates light, generosity, and gratitude—a perfect bridge between harvest and Advent.
In this post you’ll find:
- A short kid-friendly history of Saint Martin
- Easy Martinmas celebration ideas
- Traditional foods from around the world
- Recipe for almond horseshoe cookies (gluten free!)
- A free printable lantern craft for your family
Who Was Saint Martin?
Born in the 4th century, Martin of Tours was a Roman soldier who famously cut his cloak in half to share with a beggar. That night, he dreamed of Christ wearing the same cloak. Moved by the vision, Martin was baptized and later became a monk and bishop, known for his humility and compassion.
Following St. Martin’s Example
Martinmas invites families to imitate Saint Martin’s kindness—sharing food, light, and joy. Children often carry lanterns in evening processions, symbolizing how one small light can shine in the darkness.
In our community, one family decided to throw a Martinmas party for families. The festivities included a roast goose, a lantern-lit walk to the church for a Martinmas blessing, and a bonfire!
Living liturgically doesn’t have to be difficult, a simple meal or treat at home or with friends can bring a lot of light and joy and help build up the community.
At this event, we made mason jars into lanterns and placed tealights inside. To make this even easier, I have designed a lantern to print and colour at home. You can even add an LED tealight to make it come alive!
Download your free printable Martinmas lantern to make at home and join this centuries-old tradition.
Traditional Martinmas Foods Around the World
Saint Martin’s feast falls at the end of harvest, when families gathered to give thanks for abundance before the winter fast.
Roast Goose (“Martin’s Goose”)
Across Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands, families enjoy roast goose with red cabbage, apples, and dumplings. Legend says Martin once hid in a barn to avoid becoming bishop—but the honking geese gave him away!
Black Pudding
A traditional Martinmas food, black pudding (blood sausage) shows how people long ago used every part of the animal after the autumn harvest and slaughter. It’s a story about being thankful and making the most of what we have, turning simple ingredients into food to keep families warm through the cold months.
Another dish with the same spirit is haggis. Made from sheep’s heart, liver, and lungs mixed with oats and spices, it might sound unusual today, but it was a clever way to make a hearty meal from humble ingredients. Both black pudding and haggis remind us to be grateful, share what we have, and use God’s gifts wisely, just like St. Martin shared his cloak with someone in need.
Almond Horseshoe Cakes (Martinshörnchen)
In Central Europe, children receive crescent-shaped almond pastries shaped like a horseshoe or bishop’s crozier—symbols of St. Martin’s horse and blessing. These tender, buttery cookies are dusted with powdered sugar to represent the purity of winter’s first snow.
Recipe below!
New Wine and Harvest Fare
Traditionally, new wine was tasted for the first time on Martinmas. Adults might raise a festive glass while children enjoy apple cider or juice. The day marked one last harvest feast before the quiet fasting of Advent began.
St. Martin’s Lent: The Early Advent Fast
Before Advent became four Sundays long, Christians once observed “St. Martin’s Lent,” a 40-day fast beginning the day after his feast. It was a time of prayer, simplicity, and charity—preparing hearts for Christ’s birth.
Even today, families can recover a bit of that rhythm by treating the days from November 12 until Advent as a time for quiet preparation and small sacrifices, echoing Martin’s spirit of giving.
I love to use that time to do a 10-day pre-Advent declutter and clean! By this time of autumn here in the great white north, we have all the winter things out and everywhere, and the kids are spending a lot more time playing inside. With 6 boys, this can feel a little chaotic. Decluttering helps things stay a little more sane and passing things on can help others in the community as well.
Check out my 10×10 declutter post for more pre-advent decluttering inspo.
Don’t forget to prepare spiritually! St Martin’s Lent is a great time to print my Advent Bible Reading Plan to be all prepped and ready to go with your advent devotionals this year.
Download your free printable Martinmas Lantern Here
How to Access the Free Printable
- Drop your email in the box below.
- Check your inbox and click through to the PDF.
- Save it to your computer or phone.
- Print it off at home or at your local printer.
- For personal and non-profit use only. I get a lot of requests for parishes to use my printables. Thank you for asking, and you are absolutely welcome to do so. If you would like, you can buy me a coffee by using my Tip Jar, and please pray for me!
- Watermark free versions may be available on my Etsy shop.
Almond Horseshoe Cookies
Celebrate St. Martin’s Day or the Advent season with these tender, buttery gluten-free almond horseshoe cookies. Shaped like little horseshoes in honor of St. Martin’s famous horse, these simple cookies are made with almond flour, butter, and a hint of vanilla.
They’re gluten-free, easy to make, and perfect for sharing on cozy autumn afternoons or with a cup of tea after a lantern walk. Dip the ends in chocolate for an elegant holiday treat everyone will love.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2/3 cup (135 g) white granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups (150 g) almond flour (finely ground blanched almonds)
- 1 1/4 cups (150 g) gluten-free all-purpose flour blend* Or sub in all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or almond extract
- Pinch of salt
- Optional: 3 oz (85 g) dark or milk chocolate for dipping
- *Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend that includes xanthan gum (such as Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour or King Arthur Measure for Measure).
Instructions
- Cream butter and sugar In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and white sugar together until pale and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
- Add extract and salt Mix in the vanilla or almond extract and a pinch of salt.
- Combine flours Add the almond flour and gluten-free flour. Mix until a soft, even dough forms. If the dough feels sticky, chill it for 10–15 minutes before shaping.
- Shape the horseshoes Roll small pieces of dough (about 1 tablespoon each) into ropes about 3–4 inches long. Bend gently into a horseshoe or crescent shape and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Chill Refrigerate the shaped cookies for about 30 minutes before baking. This helps them keep their shape.
- Bake Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake for 10–12 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly golden. The tops should stay pale.
- Cool Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
- Optional chocolate dip Melt chocolate in a microwave or double boiler. Dip both ends of each cookie and place on parchment paper to set.
Notes
- Store in a tin or airtight container for up to one week. The flavor deepens after a day or two.
- You can dust the cooled cookies with a little powdered sugar for a snowy finish if you like.
- These “horseshoe” cookies recall St. Martin’s horse, reminding us of his journey of charity
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I don’t see a box to enter my email into in order to get the printable. It’s the same on other posts too.
Hi there Liz, it sounds like you may be using an adblocker or a browser that blocks subscription boxes. I created a direct link for the subscription box for you: https://kindlingwild.kit.com/martinmaslanterns
Hope this helps!