University of St Andrews and Quarter Days. Martinmas, on 11 November, was originally the feast of Saint Martin of Tours, a 4th-century bishop and hermit. Candlemas originally fell on 2 February, the day of the feast of the Purification, or the Presentation of Christ. Martinmas semester runs from early September until mid-December, with examinations taking place just before the Christmas break. There follows an inter-semester period when Martinmas semester business is concluded and preparations are made for the new Candlemas semester, which starts in January and concludes with examinations at the end of May. Graduation is celebrated at the end of June. In a
St. Martin's Day Martin, is celebrated with traditional dinners, while the day itself is rarely recognized. ("Morten" is the Danish vernacular form of "Martin".) The background is the same legend as mentioned above, but nowadays the goose is most often replaced with a duck due to size, taste and/or cost. In Estonia, Martinmas signifies the merging of Western European customs with local Finnic pagan traditions. It also contains elements of earlier worship of the dead as well as a certain year-end celebration that predates Christianity. For centuries mardipäev (Martinmas) has been one of the most important and cherished days in the Estonian folk