Feast Of Archangels / Michaelmas

Our St Mary's Home ed Choir group had a mini celebration of archangels today and children had a scavenger hunt of archangels which can be found here  .Children had fun outdoor  hunting the answer, ended up day with St Michael's prayer and a yummy chocolate cake.

The end of harvesting came in September coincide with the Feast of Archangels which used to be known as Michaelmas. Joanne's Bogle book of Feast and season mention   "Forefathers used to give the first ripe corn in August to the church, which was used in making the communion bread for a special Mass of Thanks giving. This gives us the word of Lammas'- a mixture of Loaf and Mass. One of the special day in our family as munnu carries the name saint of St Michael.

This is one of the quarter days in the year which is close to solistices or equinoxes , time of the year where leases renewed, servants are hired in the past, with the fact to end the harvest season with Michaelmas day.

I love the  tradition connected to  blackberries which are considered to be not good to eat after September ' Devil spat on them when he was cast out of Heaven into Michaelmas'.

Food 

Making cupcakes is a wise and thrify idea on this feast day with some butter cream fosting with some added blackberry puree if you can get some. Anything associated with blackberries is a good idea to use on this feast day. It is the last chance to collect any left blackberries from your brambles. Beautiful feast food ideas are there in catholic cuisine blog.

Another wonderful idea is to bake some freshly baked bread, eat it with a special Harvest Thanksgiving prayer by gathering on the table something that grown during the year;
   
                     Back of the bread is the flour
                    Back of the flour is the mill
               Back of the mill is the wind and the rain
               And the Father's will.

The tradition on this day is to eat a roasted goose, stuffed with apples. Infact historians say on the Michaelmas day Queen Elizabeth I was dined with goose when she heard the news of the defeat of the Spanish Armada and she resolved to eat it on Michaelmas day.

Nature

Michaelmas Daisies (perenial asters) bloom this time of the year with tall purple daisies which you can find this time. Why not take children to nearby parks or woods to gather these flowers and decorate table for the Michaelmas feast ?

Since St Michael is considered as protector from evil and darkness and children cand do some crafts which can be hung from chandelier with some prayers and a colouring of of St Michael, St Gabriel( Anunciation ) and St Raphel (healing - in connection with Tobith). You can obtain the pdf colouring page from catholicsistas.

                    Happy Feast Of Archangels