Tuesday, November 11, 2025

It is the 11th of November 2025. Welcome to the Christian History Almanac, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org; I’m Dan van Voorhis.

Today, in my home country, it is Veterans Day- also known as Remembrance Day in the Commonwealth countries or Armistice Day- the 11th day of the 11th month- on account of the Armistice being signed on this day, at 11:00 am, and this led the way to the Treaty of Versailles in the following year.

But, did you know that before 11/11 was a day to remember the war and veterans of wars, it was one of the most popular Christian holy days for one of its most popular saints? 

11/11 has been recognized as Martinmas, after the very popular Martin of Tours, which represents the end of the harvest, the beginning of Winter, and even “old Halloween”- if Halloween origins weren’t tricky enough already.

Martin of Tours is one of the first Christian monks/saints/celebrities. He was the Bishop of Tours in France in the 300s- the story, as told by his biographer, who loved fantastic stories, told the story of Martin, a Roman soldier, coming across a nearly naked homeless man. Seeing this, Martin tears his cloak in two and gives half to the homeless man. A few days later, in a dream, Martin sees the man and the cloak again, but the man is Christ. This cloak, cut in half and called a “cappella,” became one of Western Europe’s first famed relics. It would be kept on display in a small building adjacent to the church, once reserved for royalty. From this “cappella” we get the words “chapel” and “chaplain”—Chapel for the little church and chaplain for the special priest chosen to minister to the King.

Martin would be the patron saint of the poor, of soldiers, and tailors. His feast day, the 11th of November, coincided with old calendars as a “quarter year,” and it became customary to see the time for harvest over, and winter upon us. From the early darkness, it became a custom to light lanterns for St. Martin’s Day and to parade from home to home- singing and receiving candy.

Like many old holy days- especially popular ones like this- any number of legends grew up. For instance, one apocryphal story is told of Martin not wanting to be made Bishop (he was far too humble), and so when he was called upon at the monastery, he fled and hid amongst the geese. He was found out when a goose made a noise and so now you eat goose on St. Martin’s Day. It was also believed that if you took the breast bone and kept it out overnight the state of it in the morning will be the weather outlook for the season (damp, dry, etc…) Or, the easier to remember “if the geese on St. Martin’s Day stand on ice, they will walk in mud on Christmas” (it probably rhymes in the original).

Martinmas, in the early Medieval church, also ushered in a longer season of penitence on the way to Christmas before the shorter Advent season became more common. On this account, it was one of the last times to eat those forbidden foods, and it became like a kind of Carnival.

IN other stories, St. Martin would be bringing gifts to children- thus fusing another holiday with what was once a one-stop holiday event that tied in the changing seasons, Halloween, carnival, and Christmas. Add to this bonfires and other fires, and we have elements of Guy Fawkes Day for the British and Fourth of July for Americans.

In many places where the Protestant Reformation took hold, the popular holiday was erased or supplanted with something else- and for the past century or so, this day has become synonymous with veterans. But the 11th of November was such a popular day with such a popular saint- his feast day became a favorite for baptisms and naming.

Martin Bucer, the great German reformer, was named after St. Martin, as he was born on this day, and even though he was a day old, Hans and Margaret took their young son to be baptized on this day, and the Luthers knew just what to name him: Martin.

So, light a lantern, give a gift, have a bonfire, tear a nice sweater in half… It’s St. Martin’s Day, an almost lost holiday- the Martinmas- this is the 11th of November.

The Last word for today comes from the daily lectionary and only the beginning of 2 John, but it still makes up half the book:

1 The elder,

To the lady chosen by God and to her children, whom I love in the truth—and not I only, but also all who know the truth— 2 because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever:

3 Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love.

4 It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. 5 And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. 6 And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

This has been the Christian History Almanac for the 11th of November 2025, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org.

The show is produced by a man who knows that Martin Luther King Sr died on this day, just a coincidence. He is Christopher Gillespie.

The show is written and read by a man who reminds you of you, see poppies on someone today, that’s a reference from the WW1 poem, I Flanders Fields, fyi… I’m  Dan van Voorhis.

You can catch us here every day- and remember that the rumors of grace, forgiveness, and the redemption of all things are true…. Everything is going to be ok.