Miķeļi

Traditionally this festival celebrated the last day of harvest, and is associated with the deity Jumis. Thus, the festival is sometimes referred to as Apjumības. Jumis is a deity of agriculture. The word specifically refers to twinned ears of grain, and, thus, implies fertility, fecundity, and a generous harvest.

With the inception of Christianity, this festival was assigned to the day of St. Michael the Archangel, and, thus, was celebrated on September 29th. However, it seems likely that St. Michael was picked because his day fell on or near the date when this harvest festival took place. Thus, the festival is now referred to as Miķeļi (the day of "Michaels").

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This page created and maintained by
A. Steinbergs

Last revised September 19, 2008