MICHLEMAS

Michaelmas 29 September.

It's not just the name of a term, it's the feast day of St. Michael, the archangel and overcomer of the Devil. It is is a Christian celebration based on the ancient Celtic calendar. Its main importance in people's lives was that of a seasonal signpost in the year. In the British Isles, crops were harvested and the surplus sold by late September, so this became the time when farmers would pay their yearly rents to landowners. Everyone ate goose at Michaelmas to bring prosperity, and many farmers included "a goose fit for the lord's dinner" with their rent payments. Great market fairs occurred just before the feast day, and the large crowds these attracted made it convenient to hold elections at this time. Foods traditional for Michaelmas include new wine; goose; cakes of oats, barley, and rye; and carrots. (Texans are free to substitute corn dogs.)