Dapple Grey
Tartan of the Day
Jul 11
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Goose Day (Michaelmas)
“‘My goose, my goose, my grey goose,’ she said,
‘Oh, what will you do for your daily bread?’
‘I’ll waddle, I’ll waddle, to buy it with speed,
And pick up the crumbs that the people leave.’”
~ The Goose, Christina Rosetti, 1872
Today is the feast of St. Michael—Michaelmas—a day long marked with the tradition of dining on a well-fattened goose. But if you’d rather watch than eat, this tartan may allow you to blend in with the flock, its colors drawn from the striking plumage of Anser albifrons flavirostris, the white-fronted goose. Each winter these birds migrate from their breeding grounds in Greenland to the bonny banks of Loch Lomond, where keen-eyed visitors can spot them along the shore or even join special “goose walk” tours.
In the British Isles, September 29th was often celebrated with a Michaelmas goose, fattened on the stubble of the harvest fields. The custom was thought to bring protection against want in the year ahead. One tale even links the tradition to Queen Elizabeth I. When told that part of the Spanish Armada had been wrecked on Michaelmas Day in 1588—while she happened to be dining on goose—she vowed to make it her meal every year thereafter. Such habits took root, and goose fairs, including the famous Nottingham Goose Fair, still preserve echoes of the old feast.
In Scotland, where the bird may not always have graced the table, a different custom grew up: the baking of Struan Micheil—St. Michael’s Bannock. This harvest bannock, made with a mixture of grains from the fields, honored the archangel and the bounty of the season in equal measure.
So whether your Michaelmas is marked by feasting, goose-spotting, or bannock-baking, the day carries centuries of tradition. Honk, honk! 🧡 🖤 🤍 🖤 🧡 🦆 🦆 🦆
September 29th is sometimes referred to as Goose Day, another name for the celebration of Michaelmas tied to harvest celebrations. The feast of St. Michael and All Angels was traditionally celebrated by eating a well-fattened goose which was deemed to 'spell prosperity for the coming year'. A Michaelmas goose was often known as a 'stubble goose' or 'green goose' as the birds would have been fed almost entirely on grass stubble and harvest gleanings - in contrast to the Christmas goose finished primarily on wheat.
Instead, today we celebrate the wild White-fronted goose (Anser albifrons flavirostris), known for its distinctive plumage.
From the designer's notes:
"Created for an exhibition, this tartan was inspired whilst on a ‘goose walk’ organised by RSPB Loch Lomond. The source of the inspiration came from observing the white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons flavirostris) who travel from their breeding ground in Greenland to the beautiful Loch shores each winter. The colours chosen are symbolic of those of the birds to which they relate and white was given more prominence in homage to their name. The tartan will be used to celebrate the beauty of the geese and to help raise their profile as an endangered species.
RSPB (Scotland) endorse the application for this design and it is envisaged that its creation will assist with the continuing efforts to conserve nature and the surrounding scenery that will protect the future survival of these striking birds."
For more on Michaelmas foods and customs, click the balancing goose photographed by Skip Russell.