Holiday of geese and lanterns. Mukachevo celebrated the day of its patron saint – St. Martin (+ PHOTOS)

Transcarpathian city of Mukachevo celebrates one of the favorite holidays along with Europe.

St. Martin’s day is popular not only in Hungary and France, but also in a number of other countries; and for several years now, it has been popular in Mukachevo too. Here, they organize celebrations in honor of the patron saint of the city: St. Martin is even featured on the coat of arms of Mukachevo, and the holiday has become an important day in the calendar for the townspeople and also for tourists.

This Saturday, people gathered in the central square to honor St. Martin. His attributes are lanterns and geese, and also on this day they open the first barrel with new wine. It is done by the city mayor, who pours wine on the earth, thanking for the harvest. By the way, in Europe, the day of St. Martin is often the beginning of wine and gastronomy festivals.

Knight fights with swords, children’s march with homemade lanterns (they hold a competition every year and award the winners, which is very honorable), a dramatized performance that reenacts the legend of St. Martin, fire show are traditional elements of the holiday. And this year’s highlight was the music of the carillon – the unique instrument with medieval roots was played for the first time on the city square, and will continue playing from now on in the Palanok castle.

St. Martin’s Day in Mukachevo has already gained a good place in the calendar of Transcarpathian holidays, and is characterized by an atmosphere that combines European traditions and the spirit of a sincere and cozy city event.