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 name in Irish "Díseart Mhartain" or 'Retreat of Martin'. In Sicily, November is the winemaking season. On St. Martin's Day Sicilians eat anise biscuits washed down with Moscato, Malvasia or Passito. More precisely, the hard biscuits are dipped into the Moscato. "l'Estate di San Martino" (Saint Martin's Summer) is the traditional Sicilian reference to a period of unseasonably warm weather in early to mid November. Saint Martin's Day is celebrated in a special way in a village near Messina and at a monastery dedicated to him overlooking Palermo beyond Monreale. Mārtiņi (Martin's) is traditionally celebrated by Latvians on November 10,