Michaelmas and Christmas

My mom has been reading a lot of books recently and she asked me if I ever heard of Michaelmas. I did not she said it was in conjunction with Christmas. The sentence that she read in this particular book stated, " Well I shall say good night to you then, Thomas, and a Merry Christmas. I am convinced this shall be the finest Michaelmas of them all with you here."

She told me that there were a few other books that she read with this same reference to Michaelmas and Christmas.

I looked in Logos and it has Michaelmas is the feast of St. Michael (the archangel) on September 29. Is there more of a connection with Christmas and Michaelmas?

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David Ames

Michaelmas term is the first academic term of the academic years of the following British and Irish universities:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michaelmas_term

Michaelmas term derives its name from the Feast of St Michael and All Angels, which falls on 29 September. The term runs from September or October to Christmas and is the only term name shared by Cambridge and Oxford.

So the end of Michaelmas term is Christmas (re Wikipedia)

fgh

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/212578#Comment_212578

So the end of Michaelmas term is Christmas

Sure, but in the quote in the OP someone first wishes a Merry Christmas, and then says that it "shall be the finest Michaelmas of them all with you here". The order is wrong. You don't wish people a Merry Christmas at the time of year when Michaelmas shall be...

I like liturgical questions, but I have to admit that so far this one has me beaten. I've searched the web, and I've searched about half a dozen books on saints, and ... nothing. The only thing I can possibly think of is if some oral tradition has confused 'Michaelmas' with 'Nicholas' -- in a country full of immigrants I can imagine the two sounding quite similar to someone who's only familiar with the first (like e g a 19th century Scandinavian). And Santa Claus and Christmas certainly fit together!

What book is this? And what other books has you mother read this in? American? Foreign? A particular part of America? A particular ethnicity? A particular age? Secular writers, or ones who knows something about the liturgical year?

George Somsel

My mom has been reading a lot of books recently and she asked me if I ever heard of Michaelmas. I did not she said it was in conjunction with Christmas. The sentence that she read in this particular book stated, " Well I shall say good night to you then, Thomas, and a Merry Christmas. I am convinced this shall be the finest Michaelmas of them all with you here."

She told me that there were a few other books that she read with this same reference to Michaelmas and Christmas.

I looked in Logos and it has Michaelmas is the feast of St. Michael (the archangel) on September 29. Is there more of a connection with Christmas and Michaelmas?

If the book you mother read associated Michaelmas with Christmas, it must have been referencing the Michaelmas term mentioned by another respondent since the date of Michaelmas itself is rather far removed from Christmas. It is interesting, however, that in Re 12 the snatching of the male child to the throne of God (any doubt that this represents Christ?) is immediately followed by war in heaven between the forces led by Michael and the Dragon resulting in the Dragon's expulsion from heaven. My personal opinion is that Michael is here representative of Christ just as he is the prince of the children of Israel in the OT. There thus seems to be an old tradition of associating the two going back to scripture itself.

MJ. Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/212629#Comment_212629

One can always rely on Christmas musicals - in this case Michaelmas Mouse "Michaelmas Mouse hitches a lift on Mary and Joseph’s donkey to visit his
relatives in Bethlehem. The city mice don't approve of their scruffy
country cousin until he sorts out the tyrannical cat Morz. As they
stroll over the hills around Bethlehem, some sheep tell them about the
birth of a special baby."[H]

Or if you prefer nursery rhymes:

Ducks
If ducks do slide at Michaelmas,

At Christmas they will swim;

If ducks do swim at Michaelmas

At Christmas they will slide.

William

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/212607#Comment_212607

My mom states that the books by nature are "English. " The author of this book is Valerie King. The publisher is Zebra Books. She say she has seen it in other Harlequinn books that have "English" authors. I will write more if I can get more. I have asked mom to try to find a couple of the other books. She is an avid reader.....

The title of this book is Christmas Masquerade. It is written in 1999. The story is set in 1818 Somerset England. Written as a Historical Romance.

MJ. Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/212634#Comment_212634

I suspect that quarter days may be what ties the two together.

(in England, Ireland, and Wales) one of the four days, Lady Day, Midsummer Day, Michaelmas, or Christmas, regarded as marking off the quarters of the year, on which quarterly payments are due, tenancies begin and end, etc.

(in Scotland) one of the four days, Candlemas, Whitsunday, Lammas, or Martinmas, regarded as marking off the quarters of the year.