I just heard a tale that January 2 is the feast day of St. Macarius
who was a 4th century merchant specializiing in sweets, candies and
macaroons before he became a monk, and his nickname is 'St. Macaroon'
Well, your saint did exist -- he is Saint Macarius of Alexandria or
Macarius the Younger, to distinguish him from another, older contemporary
of the same name. But he has nothing to do with the name of the macaroon.
From the online version of the old Catholic Encyclopedia: [...]

Macarius the Alexandrian [...]
died about 405. He was a younger contemporary of Macarius the
Egyptian, but there is no reason for confounding or identifying him
with his older namesake. More than any of the hermits of the time he
exemplified the spirit of emulation characteristic of this stage of
monasticism. He would be excelled by none in his austerities. [...]
Once, in expiation of a fault, he lay for six months in a morass,
exposed to the attacks of the African gnats, whose sting can pierce
even the hide of a wild boar. When he returned to his companions he
was so much disfigured that he could be recognized only by his voice.

The encyclopaedia has understated this. Robert Chambers' _Book of
Days_, quoting Butler's _Lives of the Saints_, says that the fault
he was expiating was that he'd swatted a gnat that bit him.

W.E.H. Lecky's _History of European Morals_ has a splendidly sarcastic
chapter on early Christian ascetic loonies. John Tavener has written
an opera about one of them (Mary of Egypt) and genuinely seems to
believe they were a Good Thing, but then he would, wouldn't he.


But he has nothing to do with the name of the macaroon.

I don't see anything in what you quote to decide it either way. The
almond/sugar/egg cake has no obvious link to any pasta-like dish, so
why not an independent etymology? Somebody celebrating the feast of
St Macarius by a dish related to his early occupation could easily
have got the name and the food associated.

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