Have A Blessed Michaelmas!

Michaelmas is now celebrated as the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels, September 29th. Traditionally it is a day of eating goose and blackberries.

The goose comes from old laws. Michaelmas was a 'quarter day' in England and other lands of the UK. Peasants would have to pay up their debts and rents. Often this was done with a goose. If you'd like to say the great wings of the goose remind us of the wings of St. Michael, however, I'm not going to stop you.

The blackberries comes from an Irish legend, where it was told that Lucifer, when expelled from Heaven and sent down to Earth, landed in a blackberry patch. Anyone who has seen such a patch knows of their thorns, so Lucifer cursed the blackberry patches of the world, and returns to do so every Michaelmas. It is unwise, therefor, to eat blackberries after today.

I've also heard of a custom that may be more contemporary, but seems Catholic in its heart, of lighting a tall white candle, and a tall red candle as centerpieces for the Michaelmas feast. At the start of dinner the red candle is blown out, to show St. Michael's victory over Satan. A black candle would work just as well, in my opinion.

So Monday night I'll be having roast goose with baked apples and a blackberry crumble for dessert with my friends and family. I hope you have a Blessed Michaelmas!

P.S. I had to post this tonight, because tomorrow is my sister's wedding, and I imagined I would be quite busy. Pray for her and her new husband!