On what date is St. Martin's croissant traditionally prepared in Poland?

St. Martin’s croissant is traditionally prepared in Poland on 11 November.

The date is St. Martin’s Day, the feast of Martin of Tours, and the pastry is especially associated with Poznań and parts of Greater Poland. Bakeries traditionally produce the crescent-shaped pastry for the holiday, when it is eaten as a seasonal treat and shared with family, visitors, and the wider community.

The custom has deep roots in Poznań. The pastry tradition is documented there by 1860, while a popular account places its charitable revival in 1891, when parish priest Jan Lewicki urged people to help the poor and confectioner Józef Melzer revived the local baking custom.

The date is not Christmas or Poland’s national Independence Day, even though 11 November has both religious and national significance in Poland. The pastry’s protected designation, registered in the European Union in 2008, ties the traditional product to its regional identity.