“a Sant Martin, la castagno e lou nouvèu vin”: meaning and translation of this Provençal expression

Literal translation

at Saint Martin's day, the chestnut and the new wine

Meaning

at Saint Martin's, it's chestnuts and new wine

Explanation

This calendar saying links the feast of Saint Martin, on 11 November, to two products that come into their own at that time : the castagno (chestnut), ripened by autumn, and lou nouvèu vin, the year's wine, freshly pressed and still tasted young, close to what French calls vin bourru. The phrase carries no image to unpack : its literal and figurative meanings coincide, making it a plain statement, with no moralising intent. It belongs to the agricultural and festive register, one of the seasonal markers that saints' days once gave to the rhythm of fieldwork and harvest : Saint Martin's day traditionally marked the end of farm labour and a time to gather over roasted chestnuts and new wine. It is still used to evoke that autumn conviviality, or simply to place a season by its characteristic produce. The plainness of the phrase, a simple list introduced by a (at), makes it an easy saying to remember and pass on.

Browse all 432 Provençal expressions

Other expressions on the same theme

que si coucho sènso soupa, touto la nue si boulegosleep on an empty stomach and you'll toss all night li a jamai troup de pan e de dènt n'i a de rèstothere's never too much bread, and teeth to spare for it après bouan vin bouan couissinafter good wine, a good pillow vièio oulo, bouono soupoan old pot makes the best soup lou pèis vòu nada tres cop, à la mar, à la sartan e au vèntrefish should swim three times: in the sea, in the pan, and in wine l'aigo boulido sauvo la vidoboiled water saves lives