29th September: St Michael's Day

Today is the Feast of St Michael the Archangel, or Michaelmas. Unlike most saints, St Michael isn't a human being, but an archangel. Here are 10 more things you might not know about him:

1. His name means ‘Who is like God?’
2. He was the leader of the army which threw the devil out of heaven, and is usually depicted slaying a dragon; but there is another side to him - he is also considered to be a healer in some traditions.
3. He and the Archangel Gabriel are the only two angels mentioned by name in the Bible.
4. He is venerated by Jews and Muslims as well as by Christians.
5. Michael is the patron saint of many things, including chivalry, warriors, mariners, grocers, supermarket workers, the sick and dying, ambulance drivers and paramedics, hatters, several mountains in Germany, paratroopers, security forces, police officers, radiologists, bankers, the Basques, Brussels, Germany, Papua New Guinea, artists, bakers, coopers, Cornwall, haberdashers, knights, high places, and swordsmiths. He is also the special protector of the nation of Israel.
6. There is a Cornish legend that Michael appeared to fishermen on St Michael's Mount in the fifth century.
7. Angel experts like Doreen Virtue say that Michael can be called upon for instant help in an emergency, and that some people in crisis situations have seen blue lights, which could be Michael's aura, which is such a bright purple that it looks blue, or they hear him speaking to them, loudly and clearly and straight to the point. Others say that when the archangel is around you would simply get a strong gut feeling about what to do, or a feeling of comfort and warmth.
8. The archangel Michael is said to rule the planet Mercury and the Sun, and to have his own day of the week - Wednesday.
9. The best known Ley Line in England is named after St Michael. The St Michael Line joins Penzance in Cornwall with Great Yarmouth in Suffolk and passes through a number of significant landmarks, including St Michael's Mount, Glastonbury Tor and Silbury Hill.
10. St Michael's Day, or Michaelmas, has been celebrated in numerous ways through history. It was once the day for choosing bailiffs and magistrates, with an hour's gap between the rule of the old and the new, known as the lawless hour, during which people would throw cabbage stalks at each other. The Lord Mayor of London would also be elected on this day. A lot of observances relate to the turning of the seasons and the official end of summer. The fishing season ends and the hunting season begins; apples are picked to make cider; In Waterford, Ireland, it is the end of the tourist season and there is a tradition there where an effigy of the archangel is thrown into the sea in protest at the loss of tourist revenue.