What is Michaelmas?

Answer

Michaelmas, celebrated on September 29, is an ancient church feast honoring the angels. It also serves as one of the historic quarter days in England, which are Lady’s Day (March 25), Midsummer (June 24), and Christmas (December 25). These dates, positioned near equinoxes and solstices, indicated the start of leases, land transactions, debt settlements, or hiring of servants. Some refer to Michaelmas as the “Feast of Michael and All Angels”; it is also known as “Goose Day” because the customary meal on Michaelmas in England is roast goose, believed to bring luck against poverty in the upcoming year.

In the Bible, Michael is depicted as one of the principal angels of God «But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. », (Daniel 10:13). In Revelation 12, Michael leads the holy angels in a battle against Satan, resulting in the devil being “hurled to the earth, and his angels with him” (verse 9). The angel’s connection with spiritual warfare and the timing of Michaelmas at the onset of the colder, darker months—when the forces of evil were believed to be stronger—make the feast of Michaelmas a supplication for protection against evil.

The earliest documented reference to the feast of Michaelmas was at the Council of Maintz in AD 813, but the reverence for the archangel Michael began in the Eastern church as early as the fourth century and spread to the Western church over the subsequent hundred years. The commemoration of Michael evolved into a significant feast day as the Roman Catholic Church gained more influence. Over time, most of the observances became customary rather than officially sanctioned or obligatory. Along the journey, the observance of Michaelmas adopted various folk traditions and superstitions.itions drawn from the regions where it was celebrated.

The question arises as to whether Christians should observe Michaelmas. Nowhere in Scripture are we instructed to focus on angelic beings or pay them homage. Celebrating Michaelmas poses the risk of elevating angels to a status equal to God, by extolling Michael and the other angels and supplicating them for continued protection. While not all who mark Michaelmas pray to Michael, some do, and this is precarious territory. We are not to worship angels «Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. », (Matthew 4:10). In fact, an angel explicitly instructs John not to worship him in Revelation 22:8–9, stating, “I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!” We are not to pray to angels. Our prayers are to be directed solely to God (Matthew 6:9;John 16:23).

Christians are at liberty to gather, express gratitude to God for His protection, and share a meal, such as a goose, with fellow believers. If the observance falls on September 29, devoid of superstition, and without the veneration or invocation of Michael the archangel, then “do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival” «Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: », (Colossians 2:16).