A special holiday on November 21 is Michaelmas Day: history, traditions, omens
Every year on November 21, Orthodox Christians celebrate the Cathedral of Archangel Michael of the Other Heavenly Powers. In 2025, the celebration falls on a Friday. In the folk tradition, it was called Michaelmas Day. Read about the history, signs and strict prohibitions of the holiday in the Izvestia article.
Archangel Michael Cathedral — the history of the church holiday on November 21
The celebration of the Cathedral of Archangel Michael originated in the early 4th century. At that time, a heretical teaching spread among believers, whose adherents revered angels as creators superior to Jesus, and archangel Michael was called the god of the Jews. In the Phrygian city of Colossae, even rituals of angel worship were practiced.
The spread of heresy was stopped by the Local Laodicea Council, which banned the worship of angels instead of Christ and established rules for the worship of God's messengers. After that, the unholy rituals in the Colossi were replaced by the church feast of the Cathedral of Archangel Michael.
Orthodox Christians celebrate the holiday in November, the ninth month after March, which, according to legend, is the month of creation. This date has a symbolic meaning. The fact is that in Orthodoxy there are nine angelic orders: the highest are seraphim, cherubim and thrones, the middle are dominions, powers and authorities, the lowest are principalities, archangels and angels. The archangels occupy the ninth place in this hierarchy.
The Miracles of Archangel Michael
Michael is one of the most revered archangels. He is considered the leader of the divine army, the main fighter against evil and false teachings. The name of the archangel is translated from Hebrew as "who is like God?". Michael is often mentioned in the Bible. It is believed that it was he who expelled Lucifer from Heaven, and also appeared as a pillar of fire to the Israelites during their flight from Egypt. In addition, Michael is credited with numerous miracles. Here are some of them.
The miracle in Honeh
According to church tradition, sexton Archippus of Kherotop served in the church of Archangel Michael in the Phrygian city of Kolossy. The pagans decided to destroy the temple by sending two river streams at it. Upon learning about this, Archippus began to pray, after which Archangel Michael appeared, striking the mountain and changing the direction of the water towards the crevasse.
The Miracle in Rome
In 590, Italy was gripped by a plague epidemic. Pope Gregory the Great organized the struggle against the disaster through prayers, penances and processions. The clergy gathered the poor, children, married women and widows to march around Rome with the icon of the Virgin Mary. During the procession, Archangel Michael appeared, sheathing his sword as a sign of the end of the epidemic.
The Miracle in Veliky Novgorod
According to a legend from the Volokolamsk monastery, in 1238 the army of Batu Khan was approaching Veliky Novgorod. But after the appearance of Archangel Michael, the invaders turned around and did not destroy the city.
Cathedral of Archangel Michael — church traditions
The Cathedral of Archangel Michael is widely celebrated by the Orthodox Church. On the eve of the holiday, an all—night vigil is held in churches, and in the morning, a festive liturgy is celebrated. During the divine services, excerpts from the Holy Scriptures are read and hymns dedicated to angels are sung.
Believers pray and place candles at the icons of the archangel. Archangel Michael is usually depicted with a sword, a symbol of victory over evil forces. It is believed that this sword cuts off harmful passions and temptations from the human soul.
Traditionally, Archangel Michael is prayed for:
- Protection from enemies and evil forces;
- salvation from the power of sin;
- the fight against heresies;
- guidance on the right path.
Michaelmas Day in 2025 — folk traditions on November 21st
In folk tradition, Michaelmas is associated with the onset of winter. During this period, the peasants transferred the cattle to winter feed and completed the main work on warming the house and preserving the harvest.
The holiday was considered a time of abundance, as bread supplies were still in sufficient quantity. In addition, the Philippian fast began a week after Michaelmas, so people tried to eat plenty of hearty meat dishes.
There was a tradition of the Mikhailovskaya bratchina — the villagers collected money and jointly set up a large candle in the church, ordered a prayer service, and then arranged a common meal. Leftovers were distributed to those in need, and bread crumbs were thrown into the air, believing that this would distract unclean spirits from spoiling the fields.
What not to do on Michaelmas on November 21st
Various prohibitions and superstitions were associated with St. Michael's Day in Russia. In some regions, for example in Polesie, it was believed that on a holiday one should not use an axe and a knife, as well as sit down at a loom. It was believed that this could provoke the wrath of the archangel.
What else can not be done on November 21
- Washing your hair is an ancient belief that it can lead to mental loss.;
- Working with sharp objects is unfortunate;
- to work for selfish reasons — the desire to earn money on a holiday was considered a sin;
- quarreling and swearing — it will be difficult to reconcile.;
- talking about good dreams can interfere with their fulfillment.
Folk signs for November 21st
On Michaelmas, the ancestors paid attention to various signs, hoping to understand what the coming winter would be like. If frost appeared on the trees in the morning, they understood that the winter would be snowy, but if the fog thickened, they prepared for a warm and humid season. There were other signs, too:
- clear weather leads to a frosty winter;
- rain — wet weather will last until Christmas Eve (December 19);
- wind from noon — the warmth will last until mid-December;
- brown sunset — to bad weather;
- Early dawn leads to frost;
- sleet — the spring will be rainy.
Earlier, Izvestia reported on the history and traditions of the Pavel Ledostav national holiday.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
