We celebrated our Michaelmas Holy Heritage Day at church on Sunday with examples of angels in art and prayers and liturgy, and then we leaned into the wild joy that is celebrating when angels have your back!
Archangel Michael, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
We gave out Archangel Michael postcards with the short version of the prayer for his protection. I added lollipops turned so that the sticks looked like swords, and the lollipop had one of these shields on it. It made the postcards look like the lollies were shields and swords. (Click images to print).
We also decorated the cross, recalling the ancient custom of painting the standing crosses and church statuary on major market day feasts. Since our little ones were in church clothes, we provided them with jeweled stickers instead of tempera paint this year. But the teens were given gilding markers to brighten the reliefs on the cross.
Back at home this week, I’m showing the kids Pride & Prejudice movies since Bingley takes possession at Michaelmas! We’ll make a cake since several people in our family have Michaelmas as our Name Day.
What are your Michaelmas plans? Joyous Feast!
Michaelmas for Christians on the Western calendar (Catholics, Protestants, Western Rite Orthodox, and some others) is September 29th.