Autumn, also called Fall, is one of the 4 seasons we have, it is the most temperate season. Autumn is the start of the transition from warm summer to winter, in September (Northern Hemisphere) or March (Southern Hemisphere) when the nights start earlier and the temperature cools quickly. One of the main features is that the trees lose their leaves In some cultures, the autumnal equinox is considered “mid-autumn”, while other cultures with a longer temperature delay consider it the beginning of autumn. Meteorologists (and most temperate countries in the Southern Hemisphere) use a definition based on months, with autumn being September, October, and November in the Northern Hemisphere and March, April, and May in the Southern Hemisphere.
In North America, fall usually begins with the equinox of September and ends with the winter solstice on December 21 or 22. Many people in North America associate the Labor Day holiday, the first Monday in September, with the end of summer and the beginning of fall; some summer traditions, such as wearing white or light clothing, are not recommended after that date. In North America, the wave of autumn colors begins. It then heads from Canada into the United States and across the famous Great Lakes, and continues into the hills and mountains of the south. Warm days followed by increasingly cold nights provide the catalyst. In traditional East Asian solar terms, fall begins on or around August 8 and ends on or around November 7. In Ireland, according to the National Meteorological Service, Met Éireann, the autumn months are September, October, and November. However, according to the Irish calendar, which is based on ancient Gaelic traditions, autumn lasts during the months of August, September, and October, or sometimes possibly a few days later, depending on the tradition. In Australia and New Zealand, autumn officially begins on March 1 and ends at the end of May.
Etymology, origin and meaning of autumn
The word and meaning autumn comes from the ancient Etruscan root autu- and has within it connotations of the passing of the year. The word was borrowed by the neighboring Romans and soon became the Latin word autumnus. After Roman rule, The word remained in use in ancient europe. It later changed to the Old French word autompne (automne is still used in modern French) or autumpne in Middle English and was later normalized to the original Latin. In the ancient Middle Ages there are rare examples of its use from the 12th century, but by the 16th century it was in general use and the word became more common.
Before the 16th century, the word harvest was the term commonly used to denote the season, as it is in other ancient West Germanic languages to this day (cf. Dutch task autumn, and in German Herbst and Scottish hairst). As more farmers gradually moved from the country to the city, the word harvest lost its reference to the time of year and referred only to harvesting on the land itself.
The alternative word autumn for the season has its origins in the ancient Germanic languages. Det Old English fiæll or feallan and Old Norse fall as possible candidates. However, these words all have the same meaning “to fall from a height” and are clearly derived from a common word. The term came and emerged to denote the season in 16th century England, a contraction of Middle English expressions such as “fall of the leaf” and “fall of the year.”
By the 17th century, emigration from England to the British colonies in America was at its peak, and these settlers took the English language with them. As the term autumn became less and less used in England, it became the more common term in North America.
When is the first Harvest?
The association with the transition from warm to cold weather, and its associated status as the season of the first harvest, has dominated its themes and popular images. In familiar Western cultures, personifications of autumn are usually beautiful, well-fed women, adorned with grains, vegetables, and fruits that ripen and are harvested at this time. Many people are familiar with the various autumn festivals, often the most important ones on their calendars. Yet echoes of these celebrations can still be found, such as the fall Thanksgiving vacation in the United States and also in Canada, and the ancient Jewish Sukkot vacation with its roots as a harvest festival at a full moon with “tabernacles” (living in outdoor huts around harvest time). There are also the many ancient Indian festivals associated with the harvest, the ancient Chinese Mid-Autumn or well-known Moon Festival, and many others. The prevailing mood of these autumn festivals is a joy for the fruits of the earth, mixed with a certain melancholy associated with the imminent arrival of severe and bad weather.
This image appears in the well-known poem To Autumn by English poet John Keats, in which he describes the season as a time of abundant fertility and a time of “gentle fruitfulness.”
Although most vegetables are harvested in autumn, they are especially associated with the season, such as pumpkins (which are an integral part of both feast Thanksgiving and Halloween celebrations) and apples, which are used to make alcoholic beverage apple cider.
Where can you find the most colorful autumn in the world?
The east coast of America is known for some of the most colorful and romantic autumns in the world, for which New England – and other places along the coast – is especially famous.
Autumn, especially in poetry, is often associated with melancholy. The possibilities of summer are gone, and the bleakness of winter is before us. The air becomes gray and dark, and many people become less active, both mentally and physically. It has been called an unhealthy depressive season.
Are there any famous autumn poems?
Similar examples can be found in the famous and beautiful poem The Wild Swans at Cool by the poet William Butler Yeats who was ordained in Ireland, in which the season of ripening that the poet observes is symbolic of his own aging self. Like the nature he observes, he too has reached his peak and must now look forward to the inevitability of old age and death. The French poet Paul Verlaine’s “Chanson d’automne” (“Autumn Song”) is also characterized by painful and strong feelings of grief. Keats’ To Autumn, written in September 1819, reflects this sense of melancholy reflection but also emphasizes the lush bounty of the season.
What is an older name for fall and autumn season?
Another (even older) name for fall and autumn season
The earliest known name for the season in English is harvest. It comes from the Old English word hærfest, of Germanic origin, perhaps with an underlying, ancient sense of “picking, plucking” (as in, picking fruits to harvest them).
Eventually, the use of harvest as a name for the season fell out of use, instead becoming used for the period when ripened crops are harvested—gathered for processing and winter storage. The word harvest can also refer collectively to those ripened, gathered crops themselves.
The end of the summer holiday
Autumn also has a strong association with the end of the summer holiday and the start of a new school year, particularly for children in primary and secondary education. “Back to School” advertising and preparations usually occur in the weeks leading to the beginning of autumn.
Autumn, a popular name for girls.
Since 1997, Autumn has been one of the top 100 names for girls in the United States.
What is the meaning of Autumn in Indian mythology?
In Indian mythology, autumn is considered to be the preferred season for the goddess of learning Saraswati, who is also known by the name of the “goddess of autumn” (Sharada).
What is the meaning of Autumn in Asian mysticism?
In Asian mysticism, Autumn is associated with the element of metal, and subsequently with the color white, the White Tiger of the West, and death and mourning.
What is the official start of autumn?
Meteorological fall always starts on September 1, while astronomical fall often starts on September 22 or 23. This year it will be on September 23 at 3:04 a.m. Why is there such a big difference between the start of the meteorological autumn and the astronomical autumn? We explain it in this article.
The fact that the astronomical autumn starts on September 22 or 23 has to do with the position of the sun. On that day, the sun is directly above the equator.
The fact that the start date of the astronomical autumn varies has to do with several things. First, leap years play a major role. In addition, the date on which autumn begins will shift in the longer term due to changes in the position of the earth’s axis. In any case, the seasons are not equally long because the earth follows an egg-shaped orbit around the sun. Because of these changes, for convenience, calendars often use the 21st as the beginning of fall.
Does Meteorological fall already start in summer?
Meteorologists consider September 1 as the start of autumn, and have been that way since 1780. Then the Societas Meteorologica Palatina, one of the first international weather organizations led by the German Elector Karl Theodor, decided to consider three consecutive calendar months as one season.
Using three consecutive whole calendar months makes it easier to calculate statistics for a season and compare them fairly with previous years. The start and end dates of the meteorological seasons are fixed, while the start and end of the astronomical seasons alternate between the 20th and 23rd.
