Martini 2024: Gender change at St. Martin in Markt St. Martin

Martini 2024: Gender change at St. Martin in Markt St. Martin

In Burgenland, November 11th is traditionally celebrated as a state holiday, a date that honors St. Martin, the patron of the country. This year there were some remarkable innovations that brought the festival particularly. In the municipality of Markt St. Martin, known for her celebrations, a girl appeared for the first time as St. Martin. This marks an interesting change in the representation of the patron and shows how traditions remain alive and develop.

The state holiday is celebrated through different events, from the festival service to musical performances. The celebrations are all about solidarity and community, values that are also of great importance in the current times. "We said we'll try it differently," said Hannes Thiesz, the organizer of this special presentation. With this decision, a positive step towards inclusion is undertaken, which enables girls to take on an important role.

festival service in the Eisenstadt cathedral

In Eisenstadt, the diocese committed the holiday with a traditional festival service in Martinsdom, led by diocesan bishop Aegidius Zsifkovics. This service, which started at 9:00 a.m., was a central event of the celebrations. After the service, Martinskipferl, a typical pastry in honor of St. Martin, were distributed. "The community and parts are more important than ever today," emphasized Bishop Zsifkovics and referred to the values that Saint Martin embodies. This is a clear message for the people who live in an often divided world.

A evening earlier, a prayer took place with a concert by the Viennese singing boys, which was designed as a sign of gratitude for the many voluntary work in Burgenland. Bishop Zsifkovics encouraged everyone present to continue to commit themselves with dedication and open heart for the common good and to put the legacy of sacred Martin into practice. This event illustrated the importance of the community and support in difficult times.

The festival for the state holiday in Burgenland not only emphasizes the traditions, but also shows how flexible and adaptable the celebrations are. In particular, the frightening of the Janus, with which Saint Martin was presented this year, gives Burgenland the foreground in the future, such as burgenland.orf.at reported.