Michaelmas

Did You Know?

• In the Roman Catholic Church on 29 September and the Eastern Orthodox Church on 8 November, three Archangels are celebrated: Saint Michael, Saint Gabriel, and Saint Raphael.
• Michaelmas is used as the name of the first term of the academic year at universities including Cambridge, Oxford, Durham, London, Lancaster, Swansea, and Dublin.
• Old Michaelmas Day falls on 11 October (or 10 October according to some sources); according to legend, blackberries should not be picked after this date because the devil fell into a blackberry bush and cursed the fruit.

History

The name Michaelmas is a shortening of "Michael's Mass", following the pattern of Christmas (Christ's Mass) and Candlemas (Candle Mass). During the Middle Ages it was a Holy Day of Obligation, a practice abolished in the 18th century. In medieval England, Michaelmas marked the end and beginning of the husbandman's year; harvest was over and the manor's bailiff or reeve would prepare the annual accounts. Because it falls near the equinox, the day is associated in the Northern Hemisphere with the start of autumn and shorter days. As one of the English, Welsh, and Irish quarter days, accounts were settled on this day. On manors, a reeve was elected from the peasants, and hiring fairs were held at the end of September or beginning of October. In Ireland it was a gale day when rent was due, and a day for issuing or settling contracts and legal transactions.

Celebration

On the Isle of Skye, Scotland, a procession was held. The Michaelmas daisy, also known as asters, is one of the few flowers blooming at this time, inspiring a rhyme about the daisies blooming for St Michael's valorous deeds. In Ireland, pilgrimages to holy wells associated with St Michael took place, with pilgrims drinking from the holy water. The greeting "May Michaelmas féinín on you" was traditional. Boys born on this day were often christened Michael or Micheál. In Tramore, County Waterford, a procession with an effigy of St Michael called the Micilín was brought to the shore to mark the end of the fishing season. Irish folklore held that clear weather on Michaelmas portended a long winter. A traditional meal includes goose, known as a stubble-goose, fattened on stubble fields. A saying held that eating goose on Michaelmas Day would ensure no lack of money all year. Tenant farmers sometimes presented geese to their landlords as stipulated in tenancy agreements, a custom dating to at least the 15th century. One legend associates geese with Michaelmas through a story in which the son of an Irish king choked on a goose bone and was revived by St Patrick, leading the king to order a goose sacrificed every Michaelmas. The Irish Michaelmas goose was eaten, given as gifts, or donated to the poor. In parts of Ireland, sheep were also slaughtered, with a "St Michael's portion" donated to the poor. Poultry markets and fairs sold geese and mutton pies. In Ulster, tenants presented their landlord with a couple of geese, a tradition dating back to Edward IV. Cooking methods varied; in Blacklion, County Cavan, the goose was covered in local blue clay and placed in the fire until the clay broke.

Use by legal profession

Michaelmas marks the start of the legal year in England, Wales, and Ireland, where it is the first of four court terms. It also names a dining period for the Inns of Court and King's Inns, running from September to late December. A Red Mass is held on the Sunday nearest Michaelmas in the UK, US, and Ireland to bless judges and lawyers. Although most US courts use continuous calendars, the US Supreme Court begins its annual term on the first Monday in October, just after Michaelmas.

Modern observances

Michaelmas, falling on September 29, has several distinct traditions. Because Saint Michael is the patron saint of police officers, some communities hold a Blue Mass on this day. Lutheran Christians recognize it as a principal feast of Christ. In Waldorf schools, the holiday remains important; Rudolf Steiner ranked it second only to Easter. The festival emphasizes confronting fears and building inner strength. As the first major event of the school year, it features an all-school play where each class takes on a role like peasants, townspeople, or nobles. Moving up through the grades means taking on a new part, making it a rite of passage. In the City of London, the new Lord Mayor is elected in Common Hall on Michaelmas. In Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, the day has been known as Goose Day since 1786. The tradition holds that eating goose on September 29 brings prosperity. It began when a Pennsylvania Dutch farmer named Andrew Pontius moved to Snyder County and hired an English tenant, Archibald Hunter. Their contract required settling accounts each year on September 29. On that day, Hunter arrived with his accounts and a goose, explaining that in England, eating goose on this date brought good luck. The custom spread to nearby Lewistown, Pennsylvania, where restaurants and civic groups still serve goose dinners and hold festivals. Painted fiberglass goose statues can be found throughout the county year-round.