The flaky, buttery, layered croissant is irrevocably tied to France, its country of origin. But every 11 November, on the Feast of St Martin, the Renaissance-era city of Poznań in western Poland comes alive with an extravaganza starring a very special horseshoe-shaped pastry; the Rogale swiętomarciński, or St Martin's croissant. While the rest of the country celebrates Poland's Independence from Prussian, Austrian and Russian occupation, waves of entertainers ranging from stilt-walkers to pom-pom-waving cheerleaders march through Poznań's streets for the St Martin's Day Parade.
Around 1.25 million St Martin's croissants are consumed on that day alone – equating to about 250 tonnes of pastry. This sweet treat's saintly origins go back to the 19th Century when a local priest encouraged his congregation to help the poor in the spirit of St Martin, who famously cut his cloak in half to share with a beggar.
A local baker named Józef Melzer is credited with the idea of honouring the pious act by creating a pastry when he prayed to St Martin and dreamed that a white horse entered Poznań and lost its golden shoe. The next day, he made horseshoe-shaped croissants to give to the city's poor, and the tradition quickly spread as more bakers joined in. Over the years, the delicious treat evolved into a regional speciality.
Despite the physical resemblance and the similar name – rogale means croissant in Polish – the St Martin's croissant is distinct from the classic Fren.
