Miss Ohlala is excited about the new season and found a few facts related to it.
The first day of autumn this year will be September 23 for the Northern Hemisphere – countries south of the Equator will see the beginning of spring. In most countries, it means it is harvest time, and animals start preparing for the cold days ahead. In the Middle East, seasons are not really defined, and we basically have a lot of summer months and a few winter days.
But that doesn’t mean we don’t love different seasons. We bring some snippets (and fun facts) about this time of the year that we barely see passing by as it looks a lot like summer, with days getting slightly shorter.
Autumn Equinox – This phenomenon happens every year in September, but the date varies; it usually falls between 21 and 23. The equinox is when the day and night have equal length. It lands on different dates because we follow the Gregorian calendar that counts only 365 days a year instead of the 365.25 days Earth actually takes to orbit the sun.
Babies Live Longer – According to a study by the Journal of Aging Research, those born in autumn could live longer. The study found that 30% of US centenarians born between 1880 and 1895 were born in autumn. One of the theories for this is that the season marks the change in temperature, so babies develop a greater immunity to colds and flus.
Greek Explanation – According to Greek mythology, autumn began when Persephone, the daughter of the goddess of nature and harvest, was kidnapped by Hades, the God of the Underworld. Hades wanted her to be the queen of the underworld alongside him. However, she was so upset that she caused all the crops to die. When Hades returned Persephone to her mother, life began to creep back into plants, marking the start of spring.
The Lovely Smell – That brisk, crisp, slightly sharp smell we associate with autumn (mainly in European countries) is actually the smell of leaves, trees and plants dying and rotting. The pleasurable memories we associate with this change of season are linked with a not so happy reason. Enjoy the new season!