Whether it’s Halloween, Samhain, Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead), or All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days, the time from late October to early November marks the celebration and commemoration of those who came before us and have passed on to the great beyond.
As mentioned on the About page, an amazing byproduct of the 1995 edition of Food for Thought was the doors it opened for me. Most of my AOL-adjacent career revolved around global celebrations and the customs and foods associated with them.
The same was true for the pieces I authored in Saveur magazine like the one below.
Soul Food Specialists
Seeking divine intervention with baking bread? Special guidance for waiting tables? There are over 100 saints watching over matters of food and drink. In honor of All Saints’ Day, November 1, here are a few of our favorites:
Saint Brigid
Saint Elizabeth
Patron saint of bakers. A thirteenth century queen of Hungary, Elizabeth showed compassion towards her starving German neighbors with a large donation of grain.
Saint Martha
Saint Martin of Tours
Patron saint of geese. A hermit by nature, Martin reputedly hid from celebrating visitors by ducking into a gaggle of geese. His feast day, November 11, is celebrated throughout Europe with roast goose dinners. Martin is also the patron saint of vintners, barkeeps, and drunks—but that’s another story.
Saints Peter & Andrew
Patron saints of fishermen. Brothers Peter and Andrew secured this position when Christ dubbed them “fishers of men”. Peter is also said to have helped prepare the last supper.
Saint Viviana
Patron saint of alcoholics. This 4th century Roman martyr is said to have imbibed too little often herself. It was believed in some quarters that the plants growing around her grave provided an efficient hangover cure.
Saint Wenceslaus
Patron saint of brewers. Prince of Bohemia from 907 to 929, Wenceslaus celebrated mass with wine from his own vineyards, and when he foresaw his own death, toasted St. Michael with it. But beer’s more important in central Europe, so that’s why he became associated with it.
This article is reprinted as it appeared in the Saveur November 1997 print edition; reprinted in the Saveur digital edition August 10, 2009.
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2 Responses
Great article!
Thanks, Loren! This may be the closest I ever come to sainthood. 😂