Few will remember it in today’s secularized Europe, but the feast of St. Martin of Tours, celebrated on Nov. 11 each year, has for centuries held a similar significance to Thanksgiving in the U.S.

That day passes without much notice in most of our country. But in parts of Europe, St. Martin’s Day is widely and enthusiastically celebrated, marking the day of the beginning the Christmas season.

In Homburg, the St Martin’s Day celebration will start at 5 p.m. People will gather at the historic market square on the foot of the city’s mountain Schlossberg.