“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers” –L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
Move over summer, autumn is in town. Seasonal chill is in the air. Autumnal splendor arrived dressed in hues of cocoa brown, crimson red and caramel gold. Savor the season, enjoy the crisp fall air, curl up in a comfortable chair with a warm blanket, soft music playing, and lose track of time engrossed in a good book.
This equinox is a season known for its harvest times, leaves turning beautiful hues, cooler temperatures, and the moon casting an ethereal glow over twilit evenings. The tree leaves colorfully change as they prepare to shed the old leaves.
In Greek mythology, autumn began when Persephone was abducted by Hades to be the Queen of the Underworld. Her mother, Demeter goddess of the harvest, was heart-broken and caused all the crops on Earth to die, until her daughter was returned to her.
Autumn is the bridge between summer and winter, when temperatures gradually decrease; daytime becomes shorter and nighttime longer, as the season continues onto winter solstice.
Activities associated with autumn include visiting a pumpkin patch or an apple orchard, enjoying hayrides, fall festivals and parades, carving pumpkins, and cozy indoor activities such as baking seasonal treats, and curling up by the fireplace on stormy nights.
Autumn is the time of the year that Keats called the ‘Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness.’
As winter nears, the shorter days are a sign for the trees to begin preparing for colder weather, as the leaves turn color. During winter there is not enough light for photosynthesis to occur, therefore, as the days shorten throughout autumn, the trees begin to close down their food production systems, and reduce the amount of chlorophyll in their leaves. Chlorophyll is the chemical that makes tree leaves green, and as it declines; other chemicals become more prominent in the leaves. These are responsible for the vibrant ambers, reds, and yellows of autumn. The chemicals responsible are types of flavonoids, carotenoids, and anthocyanins.
The word equinox comes from the Latin word equi, which means equal, and nox, which means night, this accounts for the equinox marking the time when day and night are of equal length. Nights begin to draw in from this point, and after the autumn equinox, the nights are longer than the days, until it is reversed again at the spring equinox.
Originally, fall of the leaf, was a common phrase in 17th century England. The word autumn entered English language from the French automne and only became common usage in the 18th century.
After the showy colorful beginning of the season, get ready for the spooky season. Decorate your porch with carved pumpkins, and hang cinnamon brooms.
Happy autumn!