September 12 is when we celebrate the Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This feast day coincides with the victory at the Battle of Vienna (1683), an important event in our Catholic faith. Legend says that two well-known food items — well-loved today in our modern “brunch culture” — were inspired by the events of the Battle of Vienna. Therefore, today’s theme will be called “Love You a Brunch!” Here’s a glimpse of my Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary Pinterest board.

There are SO many lovely Marian gifts from Catholic makers all over the world! Going with the brunch theme, why not gift the bride-to-be this Marian table runner from Lovely Lady Linens? They also have a Stella Maris one 🤗 I LOVE the “Hail Mary Full of Grace, Punch the Devil in the Face” mug from Just Love Prints — purchased through Catholic All Year Market — or this delicious Magnificat candle made with clary sage, myrrh, and bergamot! Or how about some ceramic, Mary themed campfire mugs? What a great gift for a Marian loving couple’s honeymoon in the mountains!

The emphasis for this Saintly Soiree is more in the food and nod to history. Since you would probably be saving some money having your wedding reception in the afternoon and catering brunch food, a little more of the budget could go to décor. There are so many ways to incorporate Mary in the décor, but this vintage Mama Mary statue from House of Joppa would pair so lovely with some creams, golds, and pinks in the décor! Viennese inspired decorations would be so lovely — maybe a gilded mirror with the seating chart or some golden/brassy vases full of luscious flowers. And you could include a Viennese dessert hour after brunch! OR LEARN THE VIENNESE WALTZ AS YOUR FIRST DANCE <3 * swoon *

According to one of my favorite books — Dining with the Saints — both croissants and cappuccinos are said to come from the Battle of Vienna: “A baker [heard Turkish soldiers trying to ambush the city walls and] notified the Viennese troops […] After the battle, he was rewarded with a patent to produce a bread commemorating the victory over the Turks, whose flag bore a crescent, the symbol of Islam. The result: the croissant, which is French for crescent. As for the cappuccino, Blessed Marco d’Avian was a Capuchin monk [instrumental in rallying Catholic and Protestant troops] and helping them gain victory [in the battle].” The legend goes that the Capuchin monk found a leftover sack of coffee beans from the Turkish soldiers and brewed a cup of coffee but added milk and honey since it was bitter. “The grateful Viennese dubbed the drink ‘The Little Capuchin’ or cappuccino.”

So why not have an early morning wedding and brunch reception? For your spirited brunch drink, have a Sobieski Vodka Martini! The vodka is named after Polish King Jan Sobieski who led the troops to victory. This vanilla espresso martini from Sobieski Vodka’s Twitter page looks delicious, but there is also one in the “Drinking with the Saints” book!

So there you have it, croissants, love, cappuccinos, and Mama Mary.

Notes/disclaimers: Saint and feast day information on customs and our Catholic culture is sourced from a series of books including Drinking/Dining with the Saints, The Catholic All Year Compendium, The Companion Book of Catholic Days, The Catholic Home, Living the Seasons, and A Saint a Day. I also utilize catholicculture[.org] blog: Liturgical Year Calendar and https://catholiccuisine[.blogspot][.com]. Photos free for use under the Pixabay Content License.