CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – Labor Day marks the ending of summer, so when does fall officially begin?
According to Country Living, the first day varies from year to year, but the beginning of fall usually starts on September 22 or 23. On some rare occasions, fall can start on September 21 or 24. This year, the first day will be September 23.
The autumn equinox also tells us when summer ends and the official first day of fall arrives. An equinox occurs the moment that the sun is aligned with the Earth’s equator. There are two equinoxes that happen every year, one in September and then one in March. They occur at seasonal transition points, determining the first day of fall and the first day of spring.
The word equinox is Latin and it means “equal night.” This is not a precise definition. During an equinox, because day and night are almost equal in length. Thanks to light refraction and a small portion of the sun peeking above the horizon light the sky, day slightly edges out at night on these days.
The autumn equinox is the first day of fall and the coming of nights that are longer than the days. After the autumn equinox, nights grow longer than days through the last day of fall or December 20 of this year. Fall ends when we have reached the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice.
Since September is the beginning of fall, that means it’s time for fall activities. According to Mass.gov, from August to November, you can pick from dozens of varieties of apples at a local orchard. From September to October, you can also pick your own pumpkins for any fall festivity.
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