Tag Archives: Harvest Moon

History

Welcome To September

September is illustrated by the harvest. Five figures pick grapes while a man and a woman, apparently pregnant, rest. The bunches are placed in baskets which are then emptied into baskets attached to mules. These baskets are themselves poured into vats loaded into carts pulled by oxen. The second plan is entirely occupied by the Château de Saumur in Anjou, a region already producing wine at the time. The towers are topped with fleur-de-lys weathervanes. On its outskirts, a list is represented with its central bar and its trellis wall. (Wikimedia Commons)
Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry
Folio 9, verso: September
Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry (manuscript illustration)
Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

September is the ninth month, but its name is derived from the Latin word septem meaning seven. On the old Roman calendar which started in March, September was the seventh month. When a new calendar was adopted in 153 BC, September became the ninth month, but its name remained. September is when the academic year starts, a month which transitions from summer to autumn, and harvests begin. The Autumnal Equinox takes place between September 22-24. In the Southern Hemisphere, they are transitioning to Spring.

Labor Day is the major holiday in the United States and, for most, signifies the end of summer vacation. Rosh Hashnanh, the Jewish New Year, takes place in September. The Eastern Orthodox Church, which uses the Julian Calendar, starts its liturgical year in September. September 11 is a special day of remembrance in the United States to remember the victims of the terrorist attacks on the New York World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the plane that was downed by passengers in Pennsylvania. An old tradition sometimes followed is Michaelmas on September 29, the feast of St. Michael. In Britain crops were harvested and sold during September and annual rent payments were made. Many farmers feasted on goose to celebrate their prosperity and there were large market fairs as well. Some groups in the US still celebrate it and call it “Harvest Home.” The Chinese Moon Festival is also during September (or early October as the lunar calendar is used) and a major celebration for all Chinese. Lanterns, moon cakes, and the exchange of gifts are part of this celebration.

The first full moon of September is called the Harvest Moon, but many native Americans call it Full Corn or Barley Moon. As September transitions to Autumn, seasonal produce begins to appear. For the U.S. it will include apples, artichokes, cranberries, edamame, pears, pumpkins and quinces. Pumpkin spice begins to appear in beverages and baked foods. Some retailers though, wanting to cash in early, start selling those items in late August.

For More Information

Catherine Boeckmann, “The Month of September 2025: Holidays, Fun Facts, Folklore,” Almanac.Com, last modified August 25, 2025, accessed August 28, 2025, https://www.almanac.com/content/month-september-holidays-fun-facts-folklore.

“The Month of September,” accessed August 28, 2025, https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/months/september.html.

Miscellaneous

Welcome To September

September is illustrated by the harvest. Five figures pick grapes while a man and a woman, apparently pregnant, rest. The bunches are placed in baskets which are then emptied into baskets attached to mules. These baskets are themselves poured into vats loaded into carts pulled by oxen. The second plan is entirely occupied by the Château de Saumur in Anjou, a region already producing wine at the time. The towers are topped with fleur-de-lys weathervanes. On its outskirts, a list is represented with its central bar and its trellis wall. (Wikimedia Commons)
Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry
Folio 9, verso: September
Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry (manuscript illustration)
Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

September is the ninth month on the Gregorian and Julian calendars. On the old Roman calendar, September was the seventh month since their calendar started in March. When the calendar was revised to add January and February, the name Septem (meaning seven) remained. In the Northern Hemisphere, September is when autumn begins but in the southern half it is the first month of spring.

September is traditionally the start of the academic year for most schools, though some do start in late August. The Eastern Orthodox Church starts its liturgical year in September. The Autumnal Equinox takes place between September 22-24 and marks astronomically the first day of autumn. The first full moon of September is often called a Harvest Moon since many farmers begin harvesting crops that are harvested in the fall.

Morning glory flower (Ipomoea nil)
Photo: Public Domain

While daytime temperatures can remain warm during September, generally the nights start getting cooler and the sun starts setting much earlier. And generally, the sun starts come up later in the morning resulting in people going to work when it is still dark. The birthstone for September is the sapphire (represents clear thinking) The September flowers are the forget-me-not, morning glory, and the aster.