St. Martin's Day time of the year) and have Jesus bringing the end of it, thus making the "summer" a gift from God. In Spain, St. Martin's Day is the traditional day for slaughtering fattened pigs for the winter. This tradition has given way to the popular saying ""A cada cerdo le llega su San Martín"", which translates as "Every pig gets its St Martin." The phrase is used to indicate that wrongdoers eventually get their comeuppance. In Saint Martin, November 11 is commemorated as the date when Spanish explorer Christopher Columbus, on his second journey into Antillean waters, landed on the island,
St. Martin's Day St. Martin's Day. A widespread custom in Germany is bonfires on St. Martin's eve, called "Martinsfeuer." In recent years, the processions that accompany those fires have been spread over almost a fortnight before Martinmas. At one time, the Rhine River valley would be lined with fires on the eve of Martinmas. In the Rhineland region, Martin's day is celebrated traditionally with a get-together during which a roasted suckling pig is shared with the neighbours. The nights before and on the night of Nov. 11, children walk in processions carrying lanterns, which they made in school, and sing Martin songs. Usually,