In the entire world, there is probably no other city that celebrates the name day of its main street.

 

For 17 years, every 11th November - St. Martin’s Day - a colourful parade has been held in Poznań’s city centre and a festival has been organised in front of the Zamek Cultural Centre. According to tradition, money is collected for charity on this day and the inhabitants of Poznań eat marcińskie rogale (Saint Martin’s pastries).

The street’s name day is an event that has its roots in a centuries-old tradition that dates back to when the city borders were defensive walls around the current Old Town, and St. Martin’s Church was built on a small hill west of the city walls. Around the church, a village was built and named after the Saint, which was characteristic of the time. Over a hundred years ago, an expanding Poznań absorbed the village but the church and its patron saint remained.
Soon after the Second World War, when Poland fell under communist rule, the name of the street was changed to Armii Czerwonej (the Red Army), but after 1989, Poznań councillors restored the original name, which is why the street is now called Święty Marcin.

For centuries, St. Martin has been worshipped as the patron saint of horses and cattle but also soldiers and the poor. According to a legend, Martin was born in 317, in Pannonia, located in present-day Hungary. As a Roman soldier, he once met a beggar, took pity on him and cut his cloak in half to share it with the man. This event completely changed the soldier’s life. He converted to Christianity and later became the bishop of Tours.
For many centuries, church fairs have been organised in Poznań on St. Martin’s Day, and since the 19th century, after a ceremonious High Mass, Poznań bakers have been giving out special horseshoe-shaped pastries to the poor. Nowadays, the marcińskie rogale are an integral part of the festival. Every inhabitant of Poznań and beyond has to taste this delicacy.
For the 18 years since the original street name was restored, St. Martin’s Day has been celebrated not only in the Church but also in the streets. Each year, in front of the Church, a colourful parade gathers under the leadership of St. Martin himself, seated on a white horse. He is followed by conjurers, masquerades on stilts, musicians, craftsmen, adults and children. Having completed their traditional route, the parade stops in front of the Zamek Cultural Centre, where the Mayor of Poznań gives the symbolic keys to the city to St. Martin, after which the real festival and the pastry feast begins.

The 11th of November is also National Independence Day in Poland. The open air event prepared by the Zamek Cultural Centre for this year will combine elements of both ceremonies. As usual, the event will begin with the parade, which consists of lively music, colourful clothes and large artistic elements such as machines, platforms and stilt walkers. This year, the most important piece will be a group of about 200 children with flags. They will be commemorating the memory of the children’s manifestation of noon of the 27th of December 1918, when the Wielkopolska Uprising broke out - the 80th anniversary of which is celebrated this year. The patriotic nature of the event will be additionally emphasised by cavalrymen in uniforms of the XV Regiment of the Wielkopolska Cavalrymen, scouts with flags, and a group of historical reconstruction experts dressed in uniforms of the Wielkopolska Insurgents.

When rule over the city is given to St. Martin, he begins his special mission. Throughout the day, he will spread a message on the necessity of sharing with those in need. Any kind of solidarity with the weak or incapable is the most important aspect of the festival.
Performances on the stage in front of the Zamek Cultural centre, where such stars as the  BiFF group will appear, will begin at 2:45 pm. The concerts will finish with T.Love, stars of Polish rock music (around 7:00 pm).
The 11th of November is a cheerful day and will finish with a spectacular fireworks show (around 8:30 pm), which will illuminate the sky over our fair city.