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A little reason to celebrate

First Day of Fall

Seasonal · Nature · Date set each year

The first day of fall marks the autumnal equinox, when day and night are close to equal length and the Northern Hemisphere turns toward autumn.

First Day of Fall falls on Thursday, September 23, 2027. That is 331 days away.

The autumnal equinox is the moment the sun crosses the celestial equator heading south. In the Northern Hemisphere, that makes it the official start of fall on the astronomical calendar. Day and night come out close to equal in length, and from here the nights keep winning.

The change rarely shows up on schedule. Plenty of places are still warm, and the trees may not have heard the news. What shifts first is the light. Afternoon sun comes in lower and more golden, shadows stretch out earlier, and evenings arrive while dinner is still being made.

People mark the season in small, familiar ways. Some pull a sweater out of storage a little before they need it. Others walk a park to see which maples have started to turn, or visit a farm stand for apples and squash. Kitchens start smelling of cinnamon and roasting vegetables again.

Meteorologists keep their own version of the seasons, built on whole months for easier record keeping, so by their count fall has already been underway for a few weeks. The equinox is the astronomer's start, tied to the tilt of the Earth rather than the page of a calendar.

In the Southern Hemisphere the same moment works the other way, and it is the start of spring.

Ways to celebrate

• Watch the sunset and note how early it arrives.
• Take a walk and look for the first trees changing color.
• Bake something with apples, pumpkin or cinnamon.
• Swap a summer item in your home for something cozier.
• Collect a few fallen leaves and press them in a book.

Dates

All national days on September 23

Also on September 23

• National Great American Pot Pie Day
• National Checkers Day
• Go With Your Gut Day
• National Snack Stick Day

Categories: Seasonal daysNature days