A goose dinner to
mark the end of the season
With our winter break just round the corner, we can’t miss out on the traditional goose dinner! We’re among the first to enjoy it and can’t wait for 11 November ;-)
A traditional finale
In November, a goose dinner is traditionally held in honour of Saint Martin. But why, of all things, is a goose eaten in his honour? We’ll tell you: Martin was a humble priest who loved solitude and simplicity. Because he had shared his cloak with a beggar on a cold winter’s night, the people wanted to make him Bishop of Tours. However, Martin was afraid of this immense responsibility. So he hid in a goose coop when a delegation came to fetch him. But the geese cackled excitedly when a person suddenly took up residence in their coop, thus giving away Martin’s hiding place.
In memory of this legend, we still eat goose today – preferably in the traditional way – with red cabbage and potato dumplings!
Folk sayings about St Martin’s Day:
‘If St Martin has a white beard, winter will be long and harsh.’ ‘If the St Martin’s geese walk on the ice, the Christ Child will be left in the mud.’
