Seasons Greetings! It's the Autumnal Equinox -- or Maybe the September Equinox

Published Date

September 22, 2009

Kurt, Jim, Bob, and the rest of the Traveler staff would like to take this opportunity to wish all of our readers a Happy Autumnal Equinox.

The autumnal equinox, which arrives today at 5:18 EDT, has been variously termed fall equinox, autumn equinox, harvest home, harvest tide, Cornucopia, Feast of Avilon, Alban Elfed, Festival of Dionysus, Mabon, Night of the Hunter, Second Harvest Festival, Wine Harvest, Witch's Thanksgiving, and of course, the first day of autumn.

Now scientists want us to call this special day the “September equinox” to make it hemispherically neutral (in the Southern Hemisphere, this day heralds the arrival of spring, not fall). This is, of course, a monumentally stupid suggestion. Can you imagine anybody wishing you a “Happy September Equinox”? Ridiculous!

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Comments

Submitted by admin on September 22, 2009 - 11:52am.

Enough of this political correctness already!!! I don't even like the term! If they are worried about offending someone, then they should just shut their mouths! There is always someone, somewhere who will be offended no matter what is decided or said so just be yourself and use a little bit of respect, common sense, and decency. Enough said.

Submitted by Ilex_Opaca on September 22, 2009 - 12:05pm.

I'll compromise...if I ever go to the southern hemisphere I'll be sure and wish them a happy spring equinox. Til then...it's fall equinox for me.

Ranger Holly
http://web.me.com/hollyberry

Submitted by admin on September 22, 2009 - 5:18pm.

Let the scientists call it what they want to call it, and I will call it what I want to call it. It is not offensive to me that they want to say "September Equinox". By the same token, it should not be offensive to them if I continue to call it "autumn equinox". But if it is offensive to them... oh well!!

Submitted by Bogator on September 22, 2009 - 6:31pm.

Why does it have to be "hemispherically neutral"? A hemisphere is not a person. I live in the northern hemisphere, so it will be the fall equinox, thank you very much. BTW, on the Gulf coast of Florida, we don't have autumn, so it has to be fall.

Submitted by tomp on September 22, 2009 - 6:37pm.

Bah Humbug back at y'all!

Maybe I'm grumpy because we had snow in the foothills and 50deg for a high for our last day of (northern) summer (winter equinox??), but calling it "September equinox" is a pretty small step toward thinking globally about global phenomena. The point is that today the sun rose due east and set due west everywhere on earth. Today day length changes most rapidly everywhere on earth: shortening in the north, lengthening in the south. "Autumnal" only applies locally where days are shortening.

ps: don't get me started about "vernal pools", which have nothing in common between New England forests and southern California chaparral.

Submitted by Bob M on September 23, 2009 - 12:31am.

In the nearly 39 years of my life, no one has ever wished me a "Happy Autumnal Equinox" or harvest home, harvest tide, Cornucopia, Feast of Avilon, Alban Elfed, Festival of Dionysus, Mabon, Night of the Hunter, Second Harvest Festival, Wine Harvest, Witch's Thanksgiving, and of course, the first day of autumn. Hence, I do not care what "they"call it. Now will someone please pass me a Sams' October Fest?

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on September 23, 2009 - 7:14am.

I'm partial to Sam's Boston Lager myself, Bob, but somebody digging through my fridge might come up with a bottle of October Fest (or is it Octoberfest?) if I happen to buy the variety pack. Now then, on the matter of the autumnal equinox. I do realize that many people forget to schedule parties, send greeting cards, and exchange "Happy Autumnal Equinox" greetings when they meet. We here at Traveler are trying to fix that, and we'd appreciate your help.

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on September 23, 2009 - 7:41am.

Gosh, tomp, this whole thing was supposed to be a joke -- just a little lightweight fare to start the day. But it looks like I may have tapped into a reservoir of pent up emotion. Maybe it's time to turn this whole thing over to Glenn Beck.

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