A Very Merry Michaelmas!

Happy Feast Day! It’s a beautiful day in Edinburgh, the sun having burned away the mist. There are crunchy yellow leaves huddled up in the corners of the streets, and there’s a bracing chill in the air. Yes, it’s certainly autumn, with all the coziness – “coorie” in Scotland – that implies to enjoy. “Coorie in,” as my Dundee grandmother-in-law used to say before hugging my infant husband-to-be.

Of course Mrs McLean’s Waltzing Party began to celebrate early, having hosted our Third Annual Michaelmas Dance on Saturday. Gerald and his friend Giulia took dozens of photos, and I hope to post them soon. I will enjoy seeing what I missed in all my running around with full or empty water jugs. (They will be glued in here when I get them, but for now you will have to look at my poor best. Update: Glued!)

As the chief organiser, I had a lot to do, but the more dances we have, the easier it is. Collecting up the crockery, wine glasses, forks, spoons, tablecloths, and the other necessities was simplified by having done it well in advance, and it was all ready to go before I sailed out to sit in a hairdresser’s chair for 2.5 hours.

The word “sailed” is incorrect, however, as I left for the hairdressers in a high state of anxiety: the day of the dance always involves minor tragedies that I can do nothing about or sudden requests that I cannot immediately fulfil. However, the salon was a calming refuge. The first wonderful thing that happened at there is that my phone disappeared into the cloakroom with my coat, so I was utterly cut off from the clamour of the outside world. The second wonderful thing is that my hairdresser did an amazing job. The third wonderful thing is that she refused to take payment, possibly because we’re neighbours, or possibly because she’s simply a lovely person. It was such a kind gesture on such a busy day that I almost cried.

I floated home, tendrils drifting behind me in the breeze, made cream cheese icing for our big carrot cake, smiled upon the hearty young men who carried the party supplies down to a car, painted my face and dressed. Then Mr. McLean, Alisha (our visiting Canadian singer), the cake, the icing and I all went to the Dean Hall in a taxicab. We had about 2.5 hours to set up the refreshments table, greet the other musicians, and relax. In fact, I was the most relaxed ever — fellow organisers take note – thanks both to the 2.5 hours in the salon and the 2.5 hour set-up time.

When did we get started? I think I called time on all the chatting at about 7:45 PM, when we seemed to have about 50 people, and called upon Mr McLean to begin our traditional recitation of the Prayer to Saint Michael. I then invited the gentlemen to take up their dance cards and begin soliciting the ladies for dances. After about 10 minutes of this, I signalled to our caller Sophia and our ceilidh band, Wisps of the Tay, and helped organise sets for the Dashing White Sergeant.

As usual, we alternated ceilidh dances with waltzes. We had four of the former and three of the latter, and then it was time for the intermission. A new-to-us dancer named Luis brought at least two cakes and a host of cupcakes, all studded with blackberries—the fruit most associated with Michaelmas. Marek brought crisps, relief for the hungry who eschew sugar.

During the intermission, and at about 9:30 PM, Alisha sang jazz standards as Janek took over the grand piano from Anthony, our waltz pianist. There was a flurry of swing-dancing, although not as much as I had led Alisha to expect! And then, after more sipping, munching and above all chatting, the ceilidh band gathered on stage once again to await the signal for the Canadian Barn Dance.

The dance card is now inaccurate, for Sophia decided to sub in the Military Two-Step for the more-difficult-to-explain Waves of Tory. Otherwise, we followed it to the letter, right down to Auld Lang Syne (in which Mr McLean did, at last, dance with his wheelchair, zooming in and out with the rising up and falling back of the crowd) and, of course, Salve Regina.

Alisha, the professional, was very impressed by how well we all sang Salve Regina. I noticed that, although it is printed on the backs of the dance cards, nobody needed to see it. As ever, it was the most beautiful two minutes (only two?) of the dance, a brief glimpse of the dawning light of heaven, dozens of Catholics from parishes across Edinburgh and beyond to Glasgow, Fife, Dundee, Sheffield and Montreal singing praises to Our Lady.

This time I remembered not to disappear into the kitchen but took my place at the door to bid good-bye to the guests. Sadly, when I did check the kitchen, I discovered Alisha alone and palely washing the dishes all by herself. So I went back into the hall to herd lingering guests into the kitchen to help her. To inspire them all and add some joy to the drudgery, I turned on a swing dance play list .

We were out at midnight, when it was raining. (It started raining at 5 PM and didn’t let up for hours.) More hearty young men packed Marek’s car with the supplies, and Mr McLean, Alisha, half the cake, the Reni portrait of St. Michael, and I all went home with the same cabbie who had picked us up.

To celebrate the feast day of the great Archangel and the success of our dance, a Reader has sent the following verse:

Good King Wenceslas dropped out

On a Carrot Sunday.

Michaelmas came round about

The corner on the Monday.

Waltz and carrot cake and ale

Closed the days of Ember,

Danced and munched and raised wassail:

Curtains to September!

I thank the Reader very much for this charming carol, which Mr McLean and I will sing tonight at our Michaelmas repast. Its particular genius is that it points towards Christmas–which is less than 3 months away! I look forward to that, and meanwhile I am so grateful to and for all those who have participated in all the dancing this month. We are going from strength to strength, and more than one person has told me that this was our best dance ever. (Come back in a week or two for the photos!)

UPDATE (October 3, 2025): Thank you very much to Dr. Kwasniewski for the shoutout! The rest of this blog can be accessed here.