First Day of FallWhen does Fall start in 2021?In the Northern Hemisphere, the astronomical Start of Fall is on September 22, at 3:21 P.M. EDT. This day is also known as the Autumnal Equinox. Show
Fall is the transitional season between Summer and Winter. In 2021, Fall will last from September 22 until December 21, which is when Winter starts.  What is the Autumnal Equinox?The Autumnal Equinox is also known as the Fall or September Equinox, and it happens when the Sun crosses the celestial equator towards the South. This event marks the start of Fall in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of Spring in the Southern Hemisphere. In Latin, Equinox means "equal night". On the day of the Autumnal Equinox, day and night are roughly the same lengths. After the Autumnal Equinox, the days start to get shorter and the nights get longer, as the Sun rises late and sets early. Learn more about the Autumnal Equinox. Characteristics of FallWith the transition from Summer into fall, the temperatures start getting colder, and the days become shorter. The change in weather and sunlight affects vegetation such as plants and trees, whose leaves start turning red, orange, or yellow before they shed. While Fall is usually a cold month, some states in America don't really experience the change in temperature, as is the case of California and Florida, where it remains a moderate 72°F. However, some states are picture-perfect during fall, with foliage turning into beautiful shades of reds and oranges. It is also during fall that some of America's favorite activities take place, such as pumpkin picking, country fairs, and hiking. Fall Traditions, Customs and AssociationsThe start of Fall, and specifically the Autumnal Equinox, is a reason to celebrate in many cultures and religions all over the world. One of the most important events that happens with the arrival of Fall is the Harvest season. Since ancient times, people have been welcoming the harvest season with traditions, rituals and festivals. The most significant celebration tied to the harvest season in the United States is, of course, Thanksgiving. Those of Jewish faith also celebrate Sukkot during this period. In the United States, pumpkins and apples are often associated with Fall, as this is the perfect season to harvest them and use them. The popularity of pumpkins during fall is also tied to the popular holiday of Halloween. On this day, people carve scary faces and designs into pumpkins, dress up in costumes, decorate their homes and go trick or treating. Even though Halloween is only celebrated on October 31st, people start getting ready for it much earlier, closer to when Fall starts. Start of Fall dates from 2021 to 2026
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Welcome fall! The autumnal equinox—also called the September equinox—arrived on Thursday, September 22. This date marks the start of fall in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the Southern Hemisphere. Read about the signs of fall and the ways we mark the equinox.
When Is the Autumnal Equinox?The fall equinox arrives on Thursday, September 22, 2022, at 9:04 P.M. EDT in the Northern Hemisphere. The equinox occurs at the same moment worldwide. Autumnal Equinox Dates
Note: Dates listed above are based on Eastern Time (UTC-5). Due to time zones, the date of the equinox may differ by +/- one calendar day in your location. What Is the Autumnal Equinox?The autumnal equinox is an astronomical event that marks the start of autumn (or “fall”). In the Northern Hemisphere, the autumnal equinox occurs in September; in the Southern Hemisphere, it occurs in March. What Is an Equinox?During an equinox, the Sun crosses what we call the “celestial equator”—an imaginary extension of Earth’s equator line into space. The equinox occurs precisely when the Sun’s center passes through this line. For those in the Northern Hemisphere, when the Sun crosses the equator going from north to south, this marks the autumnal equinox; when it crosses from south to north, this marks the vernal equinox. In the Southern Hemisphere, it’s the reverse. After the autumnal equinox, days become shorter than nights as the Sun continues to rise later and nightfall arrives earlier. This ends with the winter solstice, after which days start to grow longer once again. The word “equinox” comes from Latin aequus, meaning “equal,” and nox, ”night.” On the equinox, day and night are roughly equal in length. (See more about this below.) The Harvest Moon & the EquinoxOne of our favorite pieces of trivia surrounding the autumnal equinox involves its relationship with the full Moon. Curiously, the full Moon that occurs nearest to the autumnal equinox is always called the ”Harvest Moon!” Why is that? Surprise, surprise: it has to do with farming! Around the fall equinox, the full Moon rises around sunset for several nights in a row, which traditionally provided farmers with just enough extra light for them to finish their harvests before the killing frosts of fall set in. Normally, the Moon rises about an hour later each night, but around the time of the fall equinox, the angle of the Moon’s orbit and the tilt of the Earth line up just right and cause the Moon to rise only about 20 to 30 minutes later each night for several nights in a row! An Astronomical Moon NameThe Harvest Moon is one of only two Moon names that are astronomical terms and aren’t tied to one specific month. Because it’s always the full Moon nearest to the equinox that’s called the “Harvest Moon,” either September or October’s full Moon can take on the name. (The other astronomical Moon name is the Hunter’s Moon, which is the full Moon that directly follows the Harvest Moon. It can occur in either October or November.) This year, the Harvest Moon happened on Saturday, September 10. Read more about September’s Harvest Moon here or read about the upcoming Hunter’s Moon. Fall WeatherIt is the summer’s great last heat, Another definition of fall is “nights of below-freezing temperatures combined with days of temperatures below 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21°C)”. From here on out, the temperatures begin to drop. → Find 12 months of long-range weather predictions in the latest edition of The Old Farmer’s Almanac! Fall FoliageNote that fall foliage isn’t due to current weather conditions. This is a common misconception. Leaves change color because of the amount of daylight and photosynthesis. Learn more about autumn leaves.
Fall Equinox FAQsQ: Are Day and Night Perfectly Equal on the Equinox?A: Some say that during an equinox, day and night is equal. Well, not exactly. It depends on where you live. On the equinox, the center of the Sun is indeed above the horizon for 12 hours. However, “sunrise” is said to begin when the upper edge of the Sun’s disk becomes visible above the horizon (which happens a bit before the center rises) and ends when the entire Sun has set. In this case, daylight is still a bit longer than nighttime. Not only that, but the Sun is actually visible when it is below the horizon, as Earth’s atmosphere refracts the Sun’s rays and bends them in an arc over the horizon. Yes, you can see the Sun before the edgeactually reaches the horizon! This causes daylight to be longer than 12 hours as well. However, they are very close to equal (the total lengths may differ by only a few minutes). Did you know our rise/set tool now provides day length? In Dublin, New Hampshire, USA—home of The Old Farmer’s Almanac—our day length on the equinox is 12:08 hours. See our Sunrise/set calculator for day length in YOUR area. Q: Is the Autumnal Equinox Really the First Day of Fall?A: Based on the astronomical definition of seasons, yes, the autumnal equinox does mark the first day of fall. Astronomical seasons are based on the Sun’s position in the sky. According to the meteorological definition of seasons, which is based on temperature cycles and the Gregorian calendar, the first day of fall is usually considered to be September 1 in the Northern Hemisphere (March 1 in the Southern Hemisphere). Q: Can You Balance An Egg On the Equinox?A: There’s an old-wives’ tale that you can stand an egg on its end of the equinox. Well, yes, it’s true (and fun to try). But it’s possible not only on the equinox. See more about equinox facts from Almanac astronomer, Bob Berman. Signs of FallWhat are your local signs of fall? In many regions of the Northern Hemisphere, the landscape silently explodes with vibrant colors of red, yellow, and orange. The leaves begin to drop off the trees, providing endless hours of jumping into leaf piles for kids and raking them back up for parents!
Fall also brings some wonderful holidays, including Halloween and Thanksgiving, which carry us through the season until temperatures begin to drop, nights begin to get longer, and all the woodland critters start storing up for the long haul of winter. And don’t forget about the end of Daylight Saving Time, when we “fall” back, setting our clocks back one hour and regaining an hour of precious sleep! Plants and trees are slowing down, as sunlight decreases, to get ready for the colder season ahead. In the garden, asters and chrysanthemums bloom beautifully as orange pumpkins and corn mazes abound. Football season is warming up and so is sweater weather. Also notice the arc of the Sun across the sky each day as it starts shifting south. Birds and butterflies migrate along with the path of our Sun! Of course, you can you can easily notice the later dawns and earlier sunsets. See our sunrise/set tool for your area! Ancient Autumn TraditionsThe fall equinox has been a day of celebration for cultures since ancient days. People tracked the transitions of the Earth’s journeys around the Sun.
See Five Ancient Sites Aligned With the Equinoxes and Solstices. Enjoy Autumn!Wishing a colorful, cool, cozy autumn to all our Almanac readers. Tell us your favorite things about the fall season below! To learn more about all four seasons and see when they begin, see First Day of Seasons. Is September 22 always the first day of fall?In 2022, the Fall Equinox will be Thursday, September 22, according to Almanac.com. Because the Fall Equinox is not a fixed day, but is rather based on an astronomical prediction, the date can change year to year. But it always occurs between September 21 and September 24.
What is the first day of fall for 2023?First Day of Autumn falls on September 23 this year.
What month is fall in 2024?When is the First Day of Fall 2022?. How many days is it until the fall 2024?There are 689 days until September 1 2024.
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