St. Martin’s Day: Chestnuts and Mulled Wine

On November 11th in Venice, San Martino is celebrated—a popular festival where people used to eat chestnuts and new wine, singing under the windows of houses, and hoping that others would throw more chestnuts from their homes. Of this ancient festival, the custom remains to bang together objects that make a lot of noise, like pots and lids, and ask for some change from shopkeepers or passersby, especially Venetians.

Continue reading