Category: Seasons

It is 4:44 p.m. EDT, Sept. 22  according to our post scheduler and, just as it was back on March 20, the tilt of the Earth’s axis is neither away from or towards the Sun.

In other words, autumn has begun.

“Autumn” comes from the Old French word automne which comes from the Latin word autumnus which possibly comes a Etruscan word.

Before autumn came into popular use in the 16th century to describe the season– as did the word fall  as in falling leaves — the English called it Harvest.

When fall was a popular term, immigration to America was picking up and that word was brought to this side of the Atlantic. It became the more common name for this time of year remains so. The term is now obsolete in Britain, however.

The Brits, by the way, consider autumn to be from August to October whereas we consider it from September to November — or December for those of us who are technical minded.

Autumn 2013 Starts Now

Summer begins in the Northern Hemisphere right now, 1:04 a.m., EDT,  June 21, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Summer 2013 Starts Now

Daylight Savings Time 2013 — Daylight saving time starts in eight hours from the time of this post which will be 2 a.m., Sunday, March 10.

So turn re turn their clocks ahead one hour before going to bed.

The idea of daylight saving was first conceived by Benjamin Franklin while serving as an American delegate in Paris. Daylight saving time has been used in the U.S. and many European nations since World War I. It was officially adopted in the U.S. in 1918, and was made consistent through the adoption of the Uniform Time Act of 1966.

Daylight Savings Time 2013

Autumn 2012 Starts Now — At this moment, 10:49 a.m. EDT, Sept. 22, the sun has crossed the celestial equator  and autumn has started, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Autumn 2012 Starts Now  Today Sept. 22 Autumn Starts Now Sept. 22