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Awaiting Autumn

After a long, steamy summer, many welcome the cool, crisp, refreshing days of autumn. They are eager to swap their casual shorts and tees for cozy sweaters, knit scarves, and chic boots.

Seasonal treats such as pumpkin—an iconic image of autumn—and apple debut on menus everywhere, from neighborhood coffee shops to farm-to-table restaurants. Fun fall activities such as apple picking and foliage tours resume along with festive holidays such as Halloween, Thanksgiving, All Souls’ Day, and the Day of the Dead.

In the northern hemisphere, the autumn equinox arrives on September 22, 2017. The word equinox stems from the Latin word equinoxium meaning “equality between day and night.” Occurring in the autumn and in the spring (vernal equinox), the equinoxes occur when the sun is exactly in line with the Earth’s equator. This means that daytime and nighttime are of equal length—12 hours long—in all parts of the world. The equinoxes are opposite for the northern and southern hemispheres.

Autumn also has its own full moon associated with it. The Harvest Moon is the full moon that appears nearest to the autumnal equinox. LiveScience.com cites that, before artificial lighting, farmers relied on the light emanating from the full moon to harvest their crops. In late summer and early autumn, many crops ripen simultaneously, which required farmers to labor in the fields after sundown to harvest the crops. The moonlight from this Harvest Moon was essential to plentiful crops.

Both equinoxes play a role in cultural events, religious observances, and customs worldwide. China’s Moon Festival celebrates the abundance of the summer harvest. In Japan, Higan is a week-long Buddhist holiday that is observed in fall and spring. In Japanese Buddhist tradition, Higan means the “other shore,” which separates this life from the afterlife.

It’s important to note that equinoxes are different than solstices. Solstices, which mark the beginning of summer in June and the beginning of winter in December, occur when the sun reaches its most northerly or southerly excursion relative to the celestial equator on the celestial sphere. The seasons of the year are directly connected to the solstices and equinoxes.

Many literary greats have celebrated this spectacular season of vibrant colors, crisp air, and fall festivities. John Clare penned Autumn, a colorful poem that plays tribute to the English countryside. For more, read “Poems by John Clare.”

For more on the beauty of this season, read Poems by John Keats and Selected Poems of Robert Frost.

By Regina Molaro