I originally wrote this article on 5 Ways to Celebrate Michaelmas for TAN Homeschool ten years ago, back in 2015, and shared the link here… I realized today that it is no longer available so I dug it up and decided to pop in to post it. I hope you all have a blessed Michaelmas!
The feast of Sts. Michael, Gabriel & Raphael, Archangels, traditionally known as Michaelmas, is celebrated each year on September 29th.
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “the existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls “angels” is a truth of faith.” [CCC 328] Angels are found throughout the Bible in both the New and Old Testaments. They are considered to be servants and messengers of God and many of the main subjects in the Bible were visited by angels. “Angels are spiritual creatures who glorify God without ceasing and who serve his saving plans for other creatures: ‘The angels work together for the benefit of us all.’” (St. Thomas Aquinas) [CCC 350]
Let us make an extra effort to teach our children to have faith in angels and to pray for their intercession! Here are five ways to celebrate Michaelmas at home with your family:
From the Book Basket
Short stories about “Saint Michael, the Archangel” and “Saint Gabriel, the Archangel” can be found in Saints for Boys, a darling book for children by Alma Savage. (Purchase it directly from TAN Books here!)
The whole family will also enjoy The Day the Angels Fell, a dramatized audio production with exciting sound effects, which can be purchased and downloaded from Regina Martyrum Productions!
Additional suggestions can be found in our September Book Basket!
Coloring Pages
Beautiful coloring pages of the three Archangels can be downloaded and printed at Waltzing Matilda.
Arts & Crafts
Young children will enjoy creating Hand and Foot ARCH using either paper or finger paint! These are also perfect for the upcoming feast of the Holy Guardian Angels on October 2nd. You can find the directions here at Shower of Roses.
Catholic Cuisine
All fruit and berries have their season and blackberries are no exception. According to an old Irish folk tale, when St. Michael cast the Devil out of Heaven and into Hell, the Devil fell into a blackberry bush and spat on the berries making them bitter and inedible after Michaelmas. It is said that the Devil returns each year to curse and spit on the fruit. You can find the recipe for a delicious Michaelmas Blackberry Cobbler at Catholic Cuisine. (Update: I adapted the recipe to use Cassava flour and coconut sugar in 2020 pictured below.)
Another option is to bake Devil’s Food cupcakes, decorate with chocolate frosting, and serve with cocktail swords (Playmobil swords work great too!) so the children can help St. Michael defeat the “devil”!
Family Prayer
What would be more fitting than the St. Michael prayer? This prayer was written by Pope Leo XIII after he had a vision of the battle between the “Woman clothed with the sun” and the great dragon who tried to devour her child at birth, in the Book of Revelation.
Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host – by the Divine Power of God – cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits, who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
St. Michael the Archangel, Ora Pro Nobis!
Scroll through all past Michaelmas and St. Michael posts in the archives!
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