Unless you are a Jane Austen buff (or from the British Isles), you probably don’t know what Michaelmas is and, most certainly, hold no family traditions on this day.  If you are Catholic, chances go up when you realize that Michaelmas refers to the feast day of St. Michael the archangel.  So, for all the American protestants out there, this mini-lesson is for you. 

Michaelmas is the British term for the feast day of St. Michael – who is actually not a saint at all, he is an archangel.  The term Michaelmas in Jane Austen literature refers to one of a couple set dates upon which the upper class divided their year into “seasons” – not seasons of weather, seasons of social responsibilities. 

However, there is more to Michaelmas than moving from country home to city town house (or vise versa).  According to Revelation 12, it is Michael the archangel (St. Michael) who, in the last days, will lead the angels of heaven in a victorious battle against Satan (“the dragon”) and his army.  Due to this passage of Scripture, Michael is sometimes thought of as the “defender of the church” and consequently as the nemesis of Satan. In fact, through the ages, people have developed the story that it was Michael whom God had kick Satan out of heaven.  So, we have the story of St. Michael in Revelation 12 which led to the theory that Michael physically kicked Satan out of heaven under the order of God; and all this led to the old wives tale that when Michael kicked Satan out of heaven, Satan landed in a blackberry bush and now curses them every year at Michaelmas.

Can’t you just see the opportunity for a fun celebration with the kids?  Can’t you imagine all the little traditions you could come up with for Michaelmas?  Click here to go to my Tradition blog and find some ideas to help you begin some Michaelmas traditions with your kids.