Michaelmas Day

It is September 29th today and it is Michaelmas, the Christian feast of St Michael the Archangel. Nights are drawing in, leaves are changing colour and there is a definite autumnal chill in the air but the lovely Michaelmas daisy is flowering its heart out. Officially it is known as a late flowering aster but I much prefer the name Michaelmas daisy as for me it brings back happy memories of Harvest Festivals and children carrying billowing bunches of the flowers to school and church.

   
When I was a child Michaelmas daisies grew like weeds in many gardens and were usually pale mauve in colour. These days they are seen less often as they have to compete with so many other varieties of flower. They have been carefully bred over the years and as a result are available in many shades of purple, pale pink and magenta but if I had to choose just one colour it would be the old fashioned mauve. The pictures below were taken this morning and what a cheery sight they made between rain showers.

Michaelmas is traditionally the last day of the harvest season which began at Lammas on 1st August. Lammas means 'loaf Mass' and in the past farmers would make loaves of bread from their new wheat crops to take to church. Loaves are still made for Harvest Festivals today though much of our wheat is now imported.

 Michaelmas used to be known as 'Goose Day' and Goose Fairs were held in towns all around England.

 In centuries gone by, when times were hard, a special meal of goose would be served on this day and there was an old saying associated with the custom. 

'He who eats goose on Michaelmas Day shan't money lack or debts to pay.'

In view of the current economic climate perhaps we should pay heed to this saying and celebrate today with a meal of goose.

 
This is one of my favourite books, Frances Mountford's 'A Commoner's Cottage'. In it she traces the history of her 400 year old cottage in Surrey and all the people who have lived in it over the centuries. She creates a moving story of life in England though feast and famine, good times and bad. The text is hand written and is accompanied by hundreds of hand drawn and painted illustrations.

Above is a second book by Frances Mountford from which I took the illustration of harvest time. This book depicts life on a Staffordshire farm during the first half of the 20th century and the changes that took place in agriculture during that time. The text is again accompanied by many of the author's hand painted illustrations. (Both books are available from Amazon).

The wonderful paintings below are taken from books I have that were illustrated by the late artist Gordon Beningfield. For me they epitomise the words 'Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness' which is the much quoted first line from the poem 'To Autumn' by John Keats.

   
1). A red admiral butterfly enjoying a meal of sweet ripe plums 
2). A goldfinch feeding on seeds from a thistle
3). A plump dormouse finding berries in the hedgerow
4). Two goldcrests feeding on sloes

Comments

[Suzanne]

Thanks for a wonderful, informative post--I learned alot about Michaelmas:-) Now I wish I had eaten goose for dinner!

[carolyn]

I wish I had eaten goose yesterday!
Wonderful post, so much of interest, I have some of Beningfield's books and will definetly be looking out for Frances Mountford's now.

[Meeghan]

lovely photos.