Saint Michael’s Day is the Day of Saint Michael and All Angels. Michael was the Archangel who defeated Lucifer and banished him. He is one of the main angelic warriors, protector of the night and giver of cosmic intelligence. He is the patron of the sea, ships and horses. He is infamous for his defeat of Lucifer.

It is celebrated on September 29. It falls near the equinox and is associated with the beginning of autumn and the shortening of days. It is traditionally the last day of the harvest. It used to be the celebration of the winter night curfew, which began with the ringing of a church bell. The bell was rung every night except Sunday until Shrove Tuesday, the last day before Lent.

The Church of England observes it as a feast with a traditional meal of a stubble goose and St. Michael’s Bannock pie. The reason for the goose is said to be that Queen Elizabeth was eating a goose for dinner when she received the news of the defeat of the Armada. She swore to always eat goose on Saint Michael’s day and others followed her.

Michaelmas was celebrated as a day of obligation until the 18th century. It was an English, Welsh and Irish quarter of an hour when the rents were due. Sometimes the tenants would take a goose to the landlords in the hope that they would be delayed. It was also a day when new councils were elected, including a representative of the king of the peasants.

The old Michaelmas day is October 11. Legend has it that when Michael banished Lucifer from heaven, he fell into a blackberry bush and cursed them, so blackberries should not be eaten after Michaelmas.