Autum

We learn at school that the equinox is the time of the year when the sun is over the equator and the length of day and night are exactly the same. It happens twice a year: the March equinox signals the arrival of spring with the joy of new beginnings in the face of the rebirth of nature, and the September equinox indicates the beginning of autumn and is often perceived as the end of a cycle.

This year it took place on 22 September and will run in the northern hemisphere until 21 December. In some parts of the world, the autumnal equinox has been a precise time of celebration for centuries. It is celebrated by the Mayans in Mexico, by the Druids in England, and in Japan, the ancestors are honored on this date.

Throughout the autumn season, China celebrates the Moon Festival to give thanks for the summer crops. In the United States, Halloween and, above all, Thanksgiving is celebrated for the fruits of the earth and the blessing of sharing them. In Europe, grapes are harvested in the vineyards, foraging for mushrooms and chestnuts takes place in the forests, and the atmosphere of family festivities is already in the air with the excellent food of December festivities. Some animals are storing food for the winter, storks and swallows are traveling to warmer places, and butterflies and other insects are laying their eggs, which will hatch in the spring.

After the hot summer, it is the best and least crowded season for traveling in Europe. There are plenty of places to enjoy autumn in the United States, especially on the east coast: from September onwards, many travelers drive through the states from Maine, deep into Vermont, to Connecticut to enjoy the landscapes of gardens, parks, and forests that offer a fantastic symphony of colors.

Generally, in cities large and small around the world, it is the time when classical music festivals begin and the opera and theatre season opens. Many artists from different periods have been inspired by this season, synonymous with abundance and warm colors, to express themes such as the transformation or decline of a period. Musicians such as Vivaldi – “The Four Seasons” -, dozens of painters such as Monet, Van Gogh, Klimt, or Botticelli reflect the season of the warm tones when the trees are dressed in red, yellow, and orange. Writers and poets leave us their impressions of the passing time, some with melancholy, others with a desire for renewal. It is a time of fullness, and that is whåy we link autumn with the golden color of the leaves and give this symbolism to the golden years of man’s age.