While driving around on Sunday we noticed many restaurants offering Gansl (goose) menus, but did not think more of it other than it must be time to eat goose in Austria. In late September the markets had wild mushrooms (which I most agreeably consumed in great quantities); recently there appeared several preparations of wild venison and boar (all of which were delicious); and now, the markets have quail, duck, and goose.   The seasonal eating is novel to us, but there have been a few occasions where I have missed being able to pick up an unusual or out-of-season item for a recipe. However, if these are the biggest of my complaints…

It was only when we were home and remembered that we wanted to investigate an event occurring later in the afternoon that the preponderance of goose menus gained some definition. A little Google-translating of the announcement for the event I had read a small part of, and a little more Internet investigation informed us that Sunday was St. Martin’s Day, a day of feasting (on goose) to celebrate the end of the autumn harvest, and the Nußdorf Pfarrkirche was holding a small festival in his honor.  So in the late afternoon (it gets dark here by 16:00 some days) we walked over to the church down this lovely lane that would soon be filled with people.

 
And, St. Martin on his horse.
The event began with readings about the life of St. Martin.
Children carried charming homemade lanterns, and everyone followed St. Martin through Nußdorf singing songs about his life while a small band added music to the procession.

Midway through the procession there were more readings. The sword symbolizes the time when Martin, then a Roman soldier, cut his cloak in half to share with a poor man who was shivering in the cold. 
And before long St. Martin had departed, and the families all went home to enjoy their traditional dinner of roast goose, red cabbage, and dumplings.