Michaelmas is such a wonderful festival! The inner strength and courage that Michaelmas represents is so fortifying as we look ahead to the winter months. My family celebrates The Feast of St. Michael and All Angels in church; and we also celebrate this event at home.
I think one of the interesting things in the home environment is that if you have both teens in the family and small children, you may have been coming up with Michaelmas celebrations for fifteen or more years, and you may be trying to find ways to appeal to both teens and tiny children. This requires strength and constancy in festival making!
We have done all sort of things over years past:
- Made felted shooting star balls
- Made dragon bread
- Dyed capes and sashes either golden yellow with natural dyes or red
- Had obstacle courses
- Hunted for “dragon tears”
- Made dragons out of felt
- Made dragons out of thin modeling material and put it on candles
- Made blackberry crisp
- Had puppet shows with older children presenting for younger children
- Had music and verses specific to Michaelmas
- We have made Calendula Courage Salve.
- In accordance with our religious tradition, we have shared stories of angels and verses and prayers about angels from The Bible and other sources of tradition within our church.
- We have told many stories of St. Michael and the Star Children, Little Boy Knight, St. George and the Dragon. There are so many wonderful stories and legends!
It takes time to try things and build up traditions. You can certainly build up slowly over the years, and also build up a community with which to celebrate. This year, I missed getting together with folks on this special day – celebrating in community is so wonderful! I asked my teen earlier in the month what she would find interesting for a Michaelmas celebration and she mentioned putting on a well-crafted puppet show for younger children; an obstacle course (“the harder the better” she said!) and, of course, food. I find something like a bonfire with food and other activities works well for teens. If you have teens, what sorts of things are you doing for Michaelmas? Please share in the comment box below.
Here are some links to some of our more treasured ideas in this back post.
Here is a link to my Michaelmas Pinterest board with links for verses, songs, food, crafts, and ideas.
I hope you have a wonderful Michaelmas – may your courage be strong, your words so true and your deeds so brave!
Blessings,
Carrie
The Parenting Passageway 
For teenagers, it may be time to read Parsival! And if at all possible, to go to a performance of Beethoven’s 7th Symphony. If that’s not available, then an at home performance with a really great recording and sound system set up in a special way. There are lots of movies for teenagers that could be thought of as Michaelic. For older teens, depending on their sensitivity levels and readiness, an introduction to the White Rose. But this is so devastating, that a happier offering should follow and time planned for discussion and comfort. Starting a scrapbook of all of the wonderful work done by Michaelic Truth Warriors in our time would be inspiring. And of course, my story The Golden Soldier, which is the story for our time (9 years and up).
The older children offering to help set up wonderful things for the younger children is so beautiful and it applies to all Festivals that they have grown up celebrating in a meaningful way. This is a transition time, the teenage years. That they feel the desire to participate more and more in the creation is wonderful.
May the Archai walk beside you and may the Archangels fight with you in your battles now and forever. Amen.
I love this, Christine! Thank you for all your insights and suggestions!
Blessings and love,
Carrie