For example, the harvest festival in the United Kingdom is a time when people give thanks for the fruits of the land and collect food to donate to those in need. "Autumn, or fall, is rich with different festivals which mainly celebrate the return of light, harvest, and, like spring, rebirth through death," Cristina De Rossi, an anthropologist at Barnet and Southgate College in London, told Live Science. Also known as the harvest season, autumn ushers in a time of celebration for many farming cultures when they gathered in their crops. Autumn in different culturesĪutumn is generally regarded as the end of the growing season. If you see leaves of a tree turning red early, in late August, the tree is most likely suffering from a fungus or perhaps a ding from a reckless driver. (opens in new tab) They also give color to strawberries, red apples, and plums.īut red leaves are also signal of distress. The red color in some leaves comes from anthocyanins, which unlike carotenoids, are only produced in the fall, according to the State University of New York College of Environment. Meanwhile, orange and yellow pigments called carotenoids – also found in orange carrots – shine through the leaves' washed out green. Because chlorophyll is sensitive to the cold, certain weather conditions like early frosts will turn off production more quickly. In response to chilly temperatures and the changes in daylight, leaves stop producing green-tinted chlorophyll, which allows them to capture sunlight and make energy. The period of transition between summer and winter came to be known as "harvest." "Autumn," a Latin word, first appeared in English in the late 14th century, and gradually gained on "harvest." In the 17th century, "fall" came into use, almost certainly as a poetic complement to "spring," according to " Folk Taxonomies in Early English (opens in new tab)" (Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2003) by Earl R. Many cultures only recognized two seasons, such winter and summer or winter and spring. Ambivalence over the name of the third season of the year reflects its status as a relatively new concept. (Image credit: Getty Images) What's in a name?Īutumn, of course, is also known as fall, primarily in the United States. Celsius), according to the NOAA (opens in new tab) - which is a 2.1 ☏ increase above the 20th-century average.Īn aerial view of a forest during its change to autumn foliage. Far northern and southern regions get less sun due to the curvature of the sun, according to the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) (opens in new tab) program.įor the continental United States, temperatures during autumn (September through November) average 55.9degrees Fahrenheit (13.3. This is because the equator gets a consistent amount of sun.
Regions near the equator experience fairly constant temperatures throughout the year, while those farther north or south experience greater variations. How much of a change is felt depends on the location of the area on Earth. Falling temperaturesĪutumn brings a nip in the air. In the Southern Hemisphere, meteorological autumn occurs in March, April, and May. In the Northern Hemisphere, this is September, October, and November. Weather forecasters (opens in new tab) and some countries define the season as "meteorological autumn" by the three months in which the weather changes. In the Southern Hemisphere, the season runs from about March 20 to June 21. 21, though it varies from year to year, according to the MET Office (opens in new tab). In the Northern Hemisphere, that is from around Sept. The autumnal equinox is the beginning of "astronomical autumn," which ends with the start of winter. (Image credit: Getty Images) The different definitions of autumn A illustration of the Earth's position during four seasons.
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