Michaelmas (Noun)
Meaning
Honoring the archangel Michael; a quarter day in England, Wales, and Ireland.
Classification
Nouns denoting time and temporal relations.
Examples
- Michaelmas was traditionally celebrated on September 29 to honor the archangel Michael, often considered a symbol of protection.
- In medieval England, Wales, and Ireland, Michaelmas was observed as one of the quarter days when rents and accounts were settled.
- As one of the four quarter days, Michaelmas marked an important date for tenant farmers in Ireland to pay their annual rents to the landowners.
- In some parts of England, Michaelmas was also known for the custom of baking 'Michaelmas buns' and holding harvest celebrations.
- Originally known as the 'Festival of Michaelmas,' the occasion held immense significance in the ecclesiastical calendar as it paid tribute to the guardian angel Michael.