ST. ARCHANGEL MICHAEL’S DAY

The Christian Church introduced this holiday to counteract the popularity of pagan worship of the sun, moon, and stars. This holiday reinforces the idea of the appearance of the nine angel orders on the day of The Last Judgment. This day is hence dedicated to Archangel Michael because he is presented as the “clerk and commander” of all angels, including seraph, cherubim, powers, dominions and principalities.

According to folklore beliefs, Archangel Michael is the angel who descends over a dying person and takes out his soul with a knife or sword in his hand.

Archangel Michael is often depicted with balancing scales in his hands, with which he measures the sins of people, or with a bloody knife which he uses to take out the souls of the people. Together with his brother St.Peter he sends the souls to the Garden of Eden or to the eternally boiling pot, depending on whether these souls are righteous or sinful.