| Menu | Michaelmas | 4020.12 |
|
EFC)Today is Michaelmas, the feast of St Michael the Archangel. Not well known or celebrated in England these days, it used to be one of the most important folk festivals in the calendar. We should revive it as a central feast because it is in effect our Harvest Home and Thanksgiving. This is the day we count our blessings for what God and our land has provided for us, even in these strange times of Covid. But we also look to St Michael for protection against the dark forces that threaten us and there are plenty of those. A traditional Michaelmas meal is similar to Christmas dinner, but the star of the meal the traditional goose rather than turkey. This may be a bit much for many on a Tuesday, including me, but we should make an effort to mark the occasion with something a bit special and maybe a drop of mead! In North Western Europe, Michael took on many of the properties of Odin and to some degree with Thor as he was seen as protector against the forces of darkness and chaos. Several sites dedicated to St Michael, such as St Michael’s Mount in England and Mont St Michel in France, are thought to have originally been dedicated to Odin or his Celtic equivalent, maybe Lugus or Mercury in Latin. |