St. Martin’s Day on November 11, 2025 is the Feast Day of Saint Martin of Tours. In Central Europe there are numerous customs about St. Martin’s Day, like the Eating of a Martin-goose, Martin-singing, Martin-fire and Martin-processions. St. Martin’s Day is celebrated in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and South Tyrol. Especially children have self-made colorful lampions in the shape of animals or sun, moon and star and walk through the streets singing. Sometimes a man - usually a fireman - wears a St. Martin costume and there is a play of how he cut his coat into two pieces and gave away one of them to a poor beggar.
Depending on the region kids get different sweets. For example sugar pretzels, Weckmanns with raisins or pastries in the shape of a goose. At the end of the lampion parade there is a huge fire. People stay together sing, talk and watch the fire burn. The Martin-processions are sometimes on different dates. In some German regions children go from house to house and sing traditional Martin-songs to collect sweets, fruits pastries or other nice things. In some very rare regions Martin-singing takes place but is related to Martin Luther instead of Saint Martin.