Michaelmas Buying Guide

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Michaelmas is a Christian feast day celebrated on 29 September in commemoration of St. Michael the Archangel, the patron saint of the sea and maritime lands who was credited with expelling Lucifer from heaven. However, this holiday also has pagan origins: it was meant to celebrate the end of the harvest and the autumnal equinox that ushered in shorter days. Because of these seasonal significations, Michaelmas was often the start of the winter night curfew for many communities: the church bell would be sounded early in the evening, and the town gates would be closed to incomers until the next morning.

Furthermore, St. Michael's Day was a day of reckoning: one of the regular quarter-days upon which rents and accounts were settled.  Many farmers were able to pay off their accounts with geese from flocks hatched in the spring, and the birds have since been seen as a Michaelmas symbol of wealth:

He who eats goose on Michaelmas Day
Shan't lack money or debts to pay.

In fact, Michaelmas is so closely associated with geese that it is sometimes called Goose Day, and Goose Fairs are still held in some towns around Great Britain.

Ways to Celebrate

Celebrate the harvest with a bountiful feast.  The typical Michaelmas meal usually consisted of apples and roast goose,  and you can find a recipe at FishEaters.com.

The Michaelmas Daisies,  among dede weeds,
Bloom for St Michael's valorous deeds.
And seems the last of flowers that stood,
Till the feast of St. Simon and St. Jude.

A fun activity for kids is to make apple dolls.  Peel an apple and carve a face into it, then let it dry for several weeks.  Instant fun!  For more complete instructions, see AppleDolls.org.

On Michaelmas, it was custom to hide a ring in a pie.  Whoever found the ring would be married within the year.  IrishCultureAndCustoms.com has a tasty blackberry pie recipe.

Related Guides

Harvest Festival

Autumn Style Guide

Autumn Decorations

Autumn Crafts

Apple Day

External Links