Autumnal equinox
From Freepedia
In astronomy, the autumnal equinox (fall equinox, September equinox, or southward equinox) signals the beginning of autumn in the northern hemisphere: the moment when the sun appears to cross the celestial equator, heading southward; the equinox occurs around September 22–September 24, varying slightly each year according to the 4-year cycle of leap years in the Gregorian Calendar.
In the southern hemisphere, the equinox occurs at the same moment, but heralds the beginning of spring. There are two conventions for dealing with this nominal confusion: either the name of the equinox can be changed to the vernal equinox, or (apparently more commonly) the name is unchanged and it is accepted that it is out of synch with the season in the southern hemisphere.
At the equinox, the sun rises directly in the east and sets directly in the west. In the northern hemisphere, before the autumnal equinox, the sun rises and sets more and more to the north, and afterwards, it rises and sets more and more to the south.
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The solar term Qiufen in Chinese astronomy
Qiufen (秋分) is a solar term begins when Sun lies between the celestial longitude of 180° and 195°. It sometimes refers in particular to the day when Sun exactly at the celestial longitude of 180°. It usually begins around September 23, and ends around October 8.
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Holidays
Autumnal Equinox Day (秋分の日, Shūbun no hi) is an official national holiday in Japan, and is spent visiting family graves, and holding family reunions.
In the UK Harvest festival falls around this time.
The Fall Equinox is when the Wiccan Sabbat of Mabon is celebrated.
Autumnal Equinox Day is also "New Year's Day" in the French Republican Calendar, which was in use from 1793 to 1805. The French First Republic was proclaimed and the French monarchy was abolished on September 21, 1792, making the following day, Autumnal Equinox Day that year, the first day of the "Republican Era" in France.
