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The Autumnal Equinox signals crisp, cool weather to come.
There are two equinoxes a year. One in spring and the other in autumn. The spring (or vernal) equinox happens on March 19, 20, or 21 and begins the season of spring in the northern hemisphere. On these days the sun is directly above the Earth's equator. Day and night are of equal length all over the planet. The world receives twelve hours of daylight and twelve hours of darkness. The term equinox comes from the Latin and means "equal night". When the seasons changeEach season lasts about three months and brings changes in length of daylight, temperature and weather. The seasons are reversed in the northern and southern hemispheres of the planet. When the northern hemisphere experiences autumn, the southern hemisphere is experiencing spring. The seasons are caused by the changing position of the Earth in relation to the Sun. The Earth receives different amounts of sunlight during the year due to the tilt of the Earth.The Earth is like a spinning gyroscope and always points in the same general direction. The earth is tilted on a 23.5° degree angle and the sun shines on the planet in a particular way. The north pole is generally tilted toward the north star and the south pole tilts toward the constellation of Octans. Cold Days and Short NightsThe Autumnal Equinox begins the cold months in the northern hemisphere. During the colder months the North Pole is at it's greatest tilt away from the sun. The northern hemisphere then has colder temperatures, short days and long nights. During the summer the Earth is at it's greatest tilt toward the sun. This brings long warm days and nights. It takes a few weeks for the weather to change after the beginning of a new season. During autumn, there are alternating warm and cool days and cooler nights for several weeks. And in some areas, there is often a warm period known as second summer or Indian Summer, before the cold winter weather sets in . On the day of the Autumnal Equinox, the Sun is positioned directly over the equator. After this day, the northern hemisphere begins to tilts away from the sun. The weather becomes colder and the hours of daylight become shorter. This culminates in the shortest day and the longest night of the year, the Winter Solstice on December 22 or 23. In the Northern hemisphere, autumn lasts three months from September 22 or 23 to December 21 or 22 when winter begins. Holidays and CelebrationsThe autumn is a time of holidays, celebrations and rituals. Autumn in the Northern hemisphere is the time for harvest and storing food supplies for the coming winter. There are harvest festivals and celebrations of gratitude and thanksgiving. People express their spirituality with dances, prayers and meditations. Traditional spirituality views time and life as a circle. The reoccurring seasons are points on this circle. Seasonal celebrations emphasize the constant change and renewal of life.Table of Equinoxes and Solstices for the next ten years
Return to Nature in Fall from Autumnal Equinox
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