Another important place sacred to St. Michael is the Sanctuary of Monte Sant'Angelo on Monte Gargagno, in the commune of Monte Sant'Angelo in Puglia, Italy. This basilica is at the site of a cave near which St. Michael appeared several times to the Bishop of Sipontum in A.D. 490. Michael told the Bishop that the cave should be consecrated and that, in return, the nearby town of Sipontum would be saved from pagan invaders. When the pagans came, St. Michael appeared on top of a mountain near the cave, brandishing a flaming sword, and the people of the town were victorious. Pope Gelasius I, who held the Petrine office from A.D. 492 to 496 built the basilica there, and the cave itself is a place of healing and pilgrimage.

St. Michael also, along with SS. Margaret and Catherine, appeared to St. Joan of Arc (d. 1431) when she was thirteen years old, encouraging her to assist the future Charles VII in defeating the English. She later told her judges, "I saw them with these very eyes, as well as I see you."

St. Michael is patron of knights, policemen, soldiers, paramedics, ambulance drivers, etc., and also danger at sea, for the sick, and of a holy death. He is usually depicted in art carrying a sword and/or shield, battling Satan, and the old Prayer to St. Michael is one of a handful of prayers that all Catholics should have memorized. Use it when in fear, when tempted or threatened, when seeing evil, etc. (Read more about Spiritual Warfare).

 
Customs

Some may prepare for this feast by praying a Novena to St. Michael beginning on 20 September and ending on the eve of his feast (the 28th). Some may have been making St. Michael's Lent from the Feast of the Assumption to now in imitation of St. Francis, which culminates in an Act of Consecration to St. Michael the Archangel today.

As to prayer for the day, the Litany of St. Michael the Archangel (for private use only) is perfect.

At this time of year, the Aster (Aster nova-belgii) blooms, and it has become known as the Michaelmas Daisy. The Michaelmas Daisy comes in many colors, from white to pink to purple. An old verse goes:

The Michaelmas Daisies, among dede weeds,
Bloom for St Michael's valorous deeds.
And seems the last of flowers that stood,
Till the feast of St. Simon and St. Jude.

(The Feast of SS. Simon and Jude is 28 October) An old custom surrounds Michaelmas Daisies; one plucks off the petals one by one thus: pull a petal while saying "S/he loves me," then pull of the next while saying "S/he loves me not," and repeat until all petals are gone. The words one intones while pulling off the last petal lets one know if one's love is requited.

As to foods, geese were, at least at one time, plentiful during this time of year, so roast goose dinners are traditional (eating them on this day is said to protect against financial hardship, according to Irish and English folk belief). It was also the time (at least in Ireland) when the fishing season ended, the hunting season began, and apples were harvested, so eating apples today with that goose would be a nice touch.

Roast Goose with Apples (serves 8)

1 13-lb. goose, giblets and neck discarded (you'll need 1 lb per person)
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
8 golden delicious apples, peeled, each cut into 6 wedges
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
6 TBSP sugar
1/4 cup calvados (apple brandy)
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350^oF. Rinse goose inside and out; pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle inside and out with salt and pepper. Using knife, cut small slits all over goose; place garlic slices into slits. Place goose on rack, breast side down, in large roasting pan. Roast goose 2 hours 45 minutes, basting occasionally with drippings and removing excess fat; reserve 6 tablespoons fat. Turn goose over. Roast until brown and thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 175°F, basting occasionally with drippings, about 45 minutes longer. Meanwhile, toss apples and lemon juice in large bowl. Pour 6 tablespoons goose fat into 15 x 10 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Using slotted spoon, transfer apples to baking dish; toss apples in goose fat. Add sugar, Calvados and cinnamon to apples; toss. Bake apples alongside goose until very tender and golden, about 1 hour. Serve goose with caramelized apples and a Bordeaux wine.

When you cut up your apples, cross-section a few -- cut horizontally through the mid-section, between the stem and calyx -- and show your children how the 5 seeds inside the 5-pointed star found inside represent the Five Wounds of Christ. Another fun thing to do with apples is to make those little apple dolls that always resemble old people:

Apple Dolls

Peel an apple (Granny Smith or Golden Delicious apples work well), cutting away any bruises (some people say to core the apple, others say not to. Experiment for yourself). Carve as life-like a face as possible into the apple (don't cut too deeply so as to avoid rotting). Don't forget the little things that make a face so human -- the little lines running from nose to mouth, the hollows of the eyes, the depressions caused by cheekbones, etc., but make the features exaggerated since they'll shrink as the apples dry. Depending on the "skin" tone desired, soak the carved apple for about 45 minutes in a mixture of lemon juice (or cider vinegar) and water (the longer you soak, the lighter the "skin" tone will be).

Hang the apple up in the dryest, darkest room of your home. Come back in 3 to 4 weeks to see what you have (Hallowe'en would be perfect time for the unveiling if these are made on Michaelmas). It should have shrunk by about two thirds its original size, darkened some, and show the wizened features of an old woman or man. When thoroughly dry, decorate using very diluted food colorings for rouge; corn silk, cotton, or yarn for hair; cloves or food colorings for eyes; fabric triangles for scarves, etc. Secure onto a "body" made of a bottle, styrofoam cone, wooden dowel, etc., and make clothes as desired.

For the Irish, the next food du jour is St. Michael's Bannock, a scone-like bread, cooked in a frying pan.

St. Michael's Bannock

1 1/3 C. barley flour
1 1/3 C. oat meal
1 1/3 C. rye meal
1 C. flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 scant tsp baking soda
2 1/2-3 C. buttermilk
3 TBSP honey or brown sugar
2 eggs
1 C. cream
4 TBSP melted butter

Mix the barley flour, oat meal, and rye meal. Add flour and salt. Mix the soda and buttermilk (start with the 2 1/2 C) and then add to the dry mixture. Stir in honey. Turn out onto floured board and mix (as with all breads, don't over-mix), adding more buttermilk if too dry, or more flour if too sticky).

Divide dough in half, and roll each half, on a floured board, into an 8" circle (about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick). While heating a lightly greased skillet, mix the eggs, cream, and melted butter. Spread onto one of the bannocks and place the bannock, egg-side down, in the skillet and cook til the egg-side is browned. Put the egg mixture on the top side, flip the bannock and cook 'til the second side is golden. Repeat this application of the egg wash and flipping and cooking until each side has been cooked three times. Do the same with the second bannock. Serve warm with butter and honey.

According to an old Irish folk tale, blackberries were supposed to have been harvested and used up by this date, too, since it is told to children that when Satan was kicked out of Heaven, he landed in a bramble patch -- and returns each year to curse and spit on the fruits of the plant he landed on, rendering them inedible thereafter. So a dessert with blackberries would be perfect.

Blackberry Crumble

6 cups fresh blackberries
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
6 TBSP butter, softened
2 TBSP vegetable oil
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp table salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl, gently combine blackberries, 1/3 c. granulated sugar and 1/3 c. all-purpose flour. Transfer to an 8 x 8 baking dish. For the crumble topping, combine remaining ingredients in a medium bowl and work together with your hands until the ingredients resemble a crumble. Sprinkle over the blackberry mixture. Bake crumble until the the topping is golden brown and blackberries are bubbling, about 40 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature, with ice cream, whipped cream, or plain old heavy cream if desired. (If you want a 9X13 pan full of crumble, just double the ingredients).

I have to tell you about a charming Bavarian Michaelmas tradition from Augsburg, Germany, as described by Dorothy Gladys Spicer's "The Festivals of Western Europe" (1958):

On September 29, Saint Michael's Day, the city of Augsburg holds an annual autumn fair to which hundreds of peasants from far and near come for trade and pleasure. Chief among the day's attractions is the hourly appearance of figures representing the Archangel and the Devil. The figures are built in the foundation of Perlach Turm, or Tower, called Tura in local dialect. This slender structure, which rises to a height of two-hundred-and-twenty-five-feet and stands next to the Peter's Kirche, north of the Rathaus, originally was a watch tower. In 1615 the watch tower was heightened and converted into a belfry.

Almost a hundred years earlier the group depicting the saint and the devil had been installed in the tower's understructure. Annually on his feast day the archangel's armor-clad figure, holding a pointed spear, appeared whenever the tower bell struck, and stabbed at the devil writhing at his feet.

During World War II the historic figures--the delight of generations of fair-goers--were destroyed. Since then a new group has been made and installed. Today, as for over four centuries, spectators continue to gather about the Tura and to watch breathlessly the symbolic drama of Michael, head of the Church Triumphant, dealing death blows to the dragon which brings evil and destruction to the world of men.

The topic of Michaelmas can't be left without mentioning Bach's Man singet mit Freuden vom Sieg (BWV 149), written for St. Michael's Day --

-- and the very ancient hymn "Te splendor et virtus Patris," written by the 9th century Benedictine monk  Blessed Rabanus Maurus, and revised by Pope Urban.

And now I conclude with a little side page about "The Sword of St. Michael" -- an alleged sort of "ley line" based on sites sacred to St. Michael.

Notes:

"Michaelmas" is pronounced "MICKel-mus."

Today is also one of the 4 English "Quarter Days," days which fall around the Equinoxes or Solstices and mark the beginnings of new natural seasons (i.e., Spring, Summer, Winter, Fall) and which were used in medieval times to mark "quarters" for legal purposes, such as settling debts. The other days like this are: Lady Day (the Feast of the Annunciation) on March 25, the Feast of St. John on June 24, and Christmas on December 25.