Autumn Equinox: what is it, and why should you care?

The autumn equinox is almost upon us …sounds ominous, and many people think it’s just the first day of fall.  But actually it’s also the date where the amount of daylight and nighttime are equal, for both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres (although its the vernal equinox in the Southern Hemisphere)! Ok, so not that big of a deal now that our lives are brightened by electricity and no longer revolve around planting and harvest seasons, but in the past it was a day that garnered huge celebrations (and not just at Stonehenge)!

These days, the autumn equinox is a time that signifies the start of savings on your heating and AC bill! Cooler temps mean your AC is not running all day, and you can open the windows at night to the cool fall breezes. And of course you’re not yet cranking the heat. But it’s a great time to start thinking about heating and making sure your furnace gets whatever TLC it needs to be up and running at peak performance. And of course, we’re there to help you with that!

But long ago, this was a time of celebration! Bringing in the harvest, feasting with neighbors and family. Even county fairs typically coincided with this beginning of fall.

This year, there are not a lot of options for celebrating the start of autumn with friends and neighbors at large. But here are a few ideas for making it special, particularly if you’ve got kids:

1. Start a gratitude journal. Think about your emotional “harvest” from the year. Especially in a trying year like 2020, focusing on the positives, maybe some unexpected blessings, is always a healthy endeavor. Work on your journal once a week and then share some of your favorites at Thanksgiving!
2. Make candles. The equinox means that from here till the winter solstice, the nights will get increasingly longer. Candles were historically the way of keeping the dark at bay, and` they are still lovely to use (with safety precautions) on an autumn evening!
3. Take a nature walk and collect items for a fall craft. Acorn people, watercolor fall leaf art, or a fall leaf garland for decorating the house are all fun activities for all ages!
4. Have a bonfire! Roast some marshmallows and tell stories of years gone by!

So, take some time to think about what the end of summer and beginning of fall means to you this September 22! And maybe next year, consider a trip up north, as the northern lights hit their peak at the beginning of fall!