For the first day of fall let’s take a look at some ways the autumnal equinox has been celebrated throughout history.
From the ancient Greeks we have the myth of Persephone (daughter of the goddess Demeter) spending the summer on earth and returning to the underworld in the fall to be reunited to her husband Hades.
The Mayans constructed the main pyramid at Chichen Itza (Mexico) so that a “snake of sunlight” slithers down the steps during the autumnal and vernal equinoxes.
The full moon closest to the autumnal equinox is called the Harvest Moon. At this time of year Chinese and Vietnamese people celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with lanterns and mooncakes. This holiday dates back to the Shang dynasty (c. 1600 to 1046 BC).
Some Japanese Buddhists celebrate Higan (or Ohigan) during the fall and spring equinoxes. During this holiday, which officially dates to the Meiji period (1868-1912), they pay respect to their ancestors, decorating grave sites and visiting living relatives. It stems from the idea that the afterlife is due west and during the equinox the sun sets directly west.
Navaratri is a Hindu festival celebrated in the fall, though not necessarily on the autumnal equinox.
In Great Britain people have celebrated the harvest, particularly the Harvest Moon, since pagan times. This tradition was brought to North America and has become the Thanksgiving holidays that we know today in Canada and the U.S.
According to the liturgical calendar the Christian celebration closest to the fall equinox is Michaelmas, or the Feast of Michael and All Angels, on September 29. In the past it was a time when servants were paid their wages after the harvest.
During the French Revolution a new calendar was established, in which the new year began at midnight on the day of the autumnal equinox. Each year was made up of twelve months of three ten-day weeks, with five or six extra days at the end of the year. It was used by the French government for about twelve years.
Neopagans celebrate a holiday called Mabon on the autumnal equinox, to mark the harvest and start of winter preparations. It was invented by American author Aidan Kelley in the 1970s to complement the six Sabbats rooted in ancient Celtic lore.
I hope you learned something new… I certainly did!
Sources
- “Fall Equinox” via History.com
- “Autumnal Equinox Traditions” by Miss Cellania via Mental Floss
- “Customs Around the September Equinox” via timeanddate.com