Days of celebration

One of the things I love about Catholicism is the way the the liturgical year infuses the rhythm of everyday life. Faith at Dumb Ox Academy has written an inspiring post detailing the ways in which her family celebrates both Catholic and Jewish festivals. This has been on my mind lately as this school year I have decided I want to add some new family traditions. So far I have failed utterly. I hoped to do something special for the Feast of the Archangels yesterday (September 29th), but it didn't happen. I did get as far as reading the section on Michaelmas in A Book of Feasts and Seasons by Joanna Bogle, and tried to find Michaelmas daisies at the supermarket, but they had none. Roast goose was way beyond my budget and I forgot to get blackberries for a blackberry pie or crumble. (Why blackberries? Tradition has it that blackberries cannot be picked after the feast of St Michael as on that day the devil spits on them.)

Still, all is not lost! Monday is the Feast of Guardian Angels, another that I hope to celebrate for the first time. I spotted angel cake in our local convenience store and I have some angel Christmas tree ornaments that would make nice table decorations. For me the key to successfully marking the liturgical year is keeping things simple - a cake and digging out a few ornaments I can manage. Monday is also Yom Kippur, and in the evening we will celebrate the end of Tevye's twenty five hour fast with a special meal. Without that I would have time to make my own angel cake, but I'm being realistic and opting for ready made this year.