Today is a special day in the church universal. It is Michaelmas! This is one of those days that has lost a lot of its importance over the years, but it is a great example of how the sacred and secular worlds were once greatly intertwined. (Faith Journeys website).
Since the Middle Ages there were four days, known as "Quarter Days" that fell on religious festivals. These days also coincided with school term starting days, when servants could be hired, and when rents were due. Those days are:
Lady Day – (March 25 – the Feast of the Annunciation)
Midsummer Day (June 24 – the Nativity of John the Baptist)
Michaelmas (September 29 – the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels)
Christmas (December 25 – the Nativity of our Lord)
In the United Kingdom, many school still observe the Michaelmas Term (the equivalent of our Fall semester). And, since St. Michael is the patron saint of some North American police officers, it is often a day for the observance of a Blue Mass (for those employed in the public safety field).
Once piece of interesting folklore from the British Isles is the belief that St. Michael’s Day is the last day that blackberries can be picked. The legend says that when St. Michael expelled Lucifer from heaven, he fell to the earth and landed in a prickly blackberry bush. It caused so much pain that the devil cursed the fruit, scorched them with his fiery breath, stomped and spat on them so they would be unfit to eat. So, September 29th is the final day of the blackberry season and people are ill-advised to eat the berries past that date. It is, however, traditional to make a Michaelmas pie on the day, using the last of the season’s fruit.
Here at Christ Church, our chapel is the Chapel of St. Michael and All Angels.