The terrible First World War ended at 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month, 1918. This Sunday marks the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day. The guns weren’t silent for long, but at least they stopped for a while. Eagerly lain down, reluctantly taken up again.
Speaking of reluctance, this Remembrance Sunday is also Martinmas, the feast of St Martin of Tours (d 397). Martin was both a soldier and a bishop, though reluctant in both roles. He was a bit of a conscientious objector and he was practically forced to become a bishop. He even tried to hide among some geese, but they gave him away, as geese do. Surely this is why there is a tradition of eating geese, the traitors, on Martinmas.
