Martins’ Day to mark the beginning of winter

RIGA - Almost in all of antiquity, and in all cultures, people have organized their lives according to the laws of nature. The passage of time and the succession of the seasons are behind of a lot of the dates, parties and events that take place in urban cities and rural areas today.

The next celebration in Latvia will be Martins’ Day on Nov. 10. This event has changed its ways of celebrating over time, but luckily, it didn’t disappear. In fact, Latvians still celebrate this date all around the country.
Although not everybody is familiar with Latvian mythology, “Martins’ Day is still celebrated in a lot of places now,” Kristine Dzedule, representative of the Latvian Ethnographic Open Air Museum, said to The Baltic Times.
Obviously this date “is not celebrated as it was before, when neighbors and families came together, but more like a public event,” she explained.

“People are dressed up in masks, which mostly are dedicated to spirits and life beyond the grave, as well as to the season’s harvest. So, the ancient Latvians didn’t celebrate Halloween, the most known costume party in the Anglo-Saxon world, which is continuing to expand. But, they had such a similar tradition when ‘people walked from house to house singing and dancing,’” Dzedule continued.

The real reason to convert this date, between Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice, into a sort of popular party was to mark the beginning of winter in the calendar. All rural works should be finished and the crops harvested by Martins’ Day, just before the start of the long Latvian winter and the ‘indoor’ activities. Latvian ancestors also sacrificed a rooster, the animal which appears as the symbol of Martins and was the main celebration meal.

But, who is Martins? And what is his position in the ancient mythological calendar? According to Latvian mythology, in the past, Latvians recognized eight seasons per year, and its periods were separated by a festival. In this case, Martins’ Day is the festival which marks the arrival of the Ice Time (Ledus laiks), that lasts until Meteni (February).

Equally, according to the Latvian Earth and Water Deities, Martins was the god and keeper of horses during winter, when he took over this responsibility from Usins, the god of horses, bees and light during summer time. Martins had to protect Latvian people and their livestock and horses from thieves, cold and starvation. Its symbol represents two fighting cocks and, according to the web site www.latvianstuff.com, it is still possible to find archeological evidence of this in the highlands of eastern Latvia (Vidzeme and Latgale) and around Daugava River.

“Probably the most confused fact around this seasonal mythological event concerns the real date of the celebration, because its origin is not clear. This is the reason why mythology lovers can find two opinions about the right day when Martini should be celebrated,” remarked Dzedule. The first one is on Nov. 5, and the second on the 10th, very close to Saint Martin’s Day from the Catholic Church.”

On Nov. 6 the Ethnographic Open Air Museum has planned different events and will perform recreational festivities for children and adults between noon and 5 p.m.
Various folk bands, such as Rija, Saulgriezi and Milzkalnieki and a Martini choir will be performing. Also, the museum will see people dressed up in various masks to symbolically bring luck, wealth, fertility and harmony. The participants play folk games, dance, and sing to ward off evil spirits. This is the time of the season when all harvesting is finished, and farmhands can make merry.

Entrance fee is 1.50 lats (2.13 euros), 1 lats for students and 0.50 lats for schoolchildren and seniors. For group handicaps and children under school age, entrance is free of charge.