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Family life

9 Simple (and Free) Ways to Celebrate the First Day of Fall

By Abby Quillen

The first day of fall, or the autumnal equinox, is September 23 in the Northern Hemisphere. On this day, the sun hovers above the equator, and most of the world enjoys nearly equal amounts of light and darkness.

In traditional agricultural societies, the harvest season was drawing to a close, and people were working overtime to prepare stores for the winter months. The equinox was a time to relax, celebrate, and enjoy the bounty of the harvest, while people anticipated more scarcity or monotony in their winter diet. In modern times, autumn is a time for new beginnings – a new school year, new clothes, new friends, or a new outlook.

Cultures around the world celebrate the first day of fall.

Asian Moon Festivals

Asians have been celebrating the equinox with Moon Festivals, or Mid-Autumn Festivals, for 3000 years. In China, families and friends gather to admire the mid-autumn harvest moon, light lanterns, burn incense, and plant trees. They prepare mooncakes – noodle-like dough filled with bean or lotus seed paste and duck egg yolks or other fillings, which are steamed, baked, or fried.

Japanese Autumnal Equinox Day

In Japan, the fall equinox is a national holiday. The seven days starting three days before the equinox until three days after is called Higan. During Higan, families hold reunions and visit graves, offering flowers, cleaning tombstones, burning incense, and praying. Ohagi, sticky rice covered with adzuki-bean paste or soybean flour, is a popular offering to the deceased.

Jewish New Year – Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah is a two-day holiday that falls on the first and second day of the month of Tishri on the Jewish calendar – usually between September 5 and October 5 on our calendar. Rosh Hashanah is the “day of judgment” in the Torah. Observers abstain from work and spend the day in the synagogue. A shofar (ram’s horn) is blown many times to awaken listeners to the coming judgment. People reflect on mistakes made in the last year and plan changes for the new year. Many observers also practice Tashlikh, or “casting off” on the afternoon of the first day of Rosh Hashanah. They fill their pockets with pieces of bread, walk to a natural body of water, and empty the bread into the water, symbolically casting off the previous year’s sins. Apples or bread dipped in honey is common Rosh Hashanah fare.

Native American Harvest Ceremonies

Many tribes once celebrated the end of the harvest with equinox ceremonies. The Cherokee gave thanks to all living things at a Nuwati Egwa festival and the Chumash of southern California held a sun ceremony at the end of September. The Miwok of Northern California still celebrate the acorn harvest with a Big Time Festival on the last weekend of September. Traditionally, the Miwok relied on the acorn for food. In the fall, they harvested the fruits, cracked them, ground the meat into meal, rinsed the meal to remove its bitter tannins, and made acorn mush, bread, or soap. At modern Big Time festivals, Miwok and other California tribes perform traditional dances, play hand games, and tell stories.

[clickToTweet tweet=”The first day of fall is almost here. Try these 9 simple (and free) ways to celebrate the changing seasons. #fall #autumn” quote=”The first day of fall is almost here. Try these 9 simple (and free) ways to celebrate the changing seasons.” theme=”style1″]

Create some autumn traditions

Seasonal celebrations can be fun and simple. Why not pick some activities you enjoy to celebrate the first day of fall? Here are a few ideas:

  • Make a seasonal display

Include leaves, ornamental corn, gourds, jack-o-lanterns, acorns, pine cones, or whatever symbolizes fall in your family.

  • Read books about fall

Gather books about the season at the library. Fall picture-books include: Leaves by David Ezra Stein; Fall Leaves Fall by Zoe Hall; Fletcher and the Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlinson; Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White; Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert; Fall is Not Easy by Marty Kelly; and It’s Fall! by Linda Glaser. The Autumn Equinox by Ellen Jackson is a fun book to read aloud this time of year. Adults can celebrate fall’s cooler weather by grabbing an anticipated fall release.

  • Make Chinese lanterns

Hang them in the house or on the porch. Click here for a how-to.

  • Visit a local orchard

Pick apples, and make apple cider, sauce, or pie.

  • Prepare a harvest feast

Invite friends over and make foods from your garden or the farmer’s market. Traditional autumn foods include: pears, squash, pumpkin, apples, stews, and mulled ciders. Pumpkin bread is a delicious fall treat, and if you use this real-food recipe, it’s healthy too.

Healthy fall pumpkin bread recipe

  • Tell stories

Bring a pile of blankets out to the porch, yard, or park and share stories about your best or worst back-to-school memories.

  • Go on a nature hike

What better way to enjoy the crisp air and colorful leaves?

  • Talk about balance

Day and night are equal, so it’s the perfect time to talk, as a family, about the importance of balance and how to create more of it in our lives.

  • Star gaze

After the sun sets, grab a pair of binoculars, cuddle under blankets, and look for constellations. Taurus, Cassiopeia, Pegasus, and Ursa Minor reappear in the night sky around the equinox.

9-simple-and-free-ways-to-celebrate-the-first-day-of-autumn-fall-seasons

No matter how you celebrate, I hope you a have a happy first day of fall.

If you liked this post, you may enjoy these related posts:

  • Apples are Fall Superfoods
  • Local, Seasonal Foods are Superfoods
  • Why You Should Sync Your Schedule with the Seasons
  • Finding Wildness
  • 6 Fun Things To Do on a Cold Dark Night

(Editor’s note: This is an updated version of a post originally published September 15, 2010)

Are you planning to celebrate the first day of fall this year? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!

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September 12, 2023Filed Under: Family life, Nature Tagged With: Family life, Family Traditions, Holidays, Parenting, Seasonal celebrations, Seasons

Simple (and Free) Ways to Celebrate the First Day of Winter

By Abby Quillen

Simple (and Free) Ways to Celebrate the First Day of Winter #seasons #seasonalcelebrations

December 21 is the first day of winter and the shortest day of the year in the Northern hemisphere. Parts of Canada, Alaska, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Greenland, and the northern tip of Iceland will experience 24 hours of total darkness.

Winter could be a long, dark, and difficult time for many of our forebears. The solstice provided an opportunity to celebrate the return of more daylight.

How did ancient people celebrate?

Gift-giving

The ancient Romans exchanged candles and other gifts during Saturnalia, their week-long solstice celebration.

Role-switching

In Persia, the king changed places with one of his subjects on the winter solstice, and the subject was crowned during an elaborate street party.

In Rome, masters and servants switched roles; senators wore simple, rather than elaborate togas; men sometimes dressed as women; fights and grudges were forgotten; and other everyday conventions were put aside.

Candle-lighting

In England and Scandinavia, people lit a Yule log, or oak branch, which was often replaced by a large candle that burned throughout the day.

Bonfires

Japanese Shinto farmers lit fires on the mountainsides to welcome back the sun.

Mistletoe and Evergreen Trees

The British Celts put mistletoe on their altars. And the Germans and Romans decorated their houses with evergreen trees, wreaths, and garlands as a symbol of life and renewed fertility.

Sun Festivals

The Hopi celebrated the return of the sun with ceremonies. Priests dressed in animal skins with feathers in their headdresses to look like the rays of the sun.

Simple (and Free) Ways to Celebrate the First Day of Winter

Why celebrate the first day of winter?

The holiday season is busy enough for most of us. Why add anything else to the to-do list?

Celebrating the first day of each season offers the perfect opportunity to:

  • Note the cyclical changes in the soil, sky, trees, plants, and wildlife.
  • Reflect on the lessons each time of year imparts. Winter reminds us of the importance of quiet, rest, and dormancy.
  • Learn about different celebrations around the world.
  • Celebrate! Seasonal celebrations are affordable, nature-based, and as easy or elaborate as you want them to be.
  • Be grateful for the gifts of food, family, and friendship.

The key to celebrating the first day of winter, when most of us are busy planning other celebrations, is to keep it simple, and choose traditions that give you time to relax and reflect.

Simple (and free) ways to celebrate winter

  • Observe

Watch the sunrise and sunset. You probably won’t even have to set an alarm. At our house, it will rise at 7:44 and set at 4:37 on Tuesday. (The good news is longer, brighter days are coming.) You can find out what time the sun will rise and set where you live here.

  • Wander

Take a hike, go cross-country skiing, or go for a walk and look for signs of the season. Listen to winter’s music. Compare winter’s textures: dry bark, soggy leaves, and spongy moss. Notice winter’s distinctive scents.

  • Give

Find gifts for each other from nature. Exchange small handmade gifts. Make maple caramel corn for friends or neighbors. The key is to keep it simple.

  • Feast

Serve up your favorite winter crops: beets, winter squash, potatoes, onions, kale, cabbage, or parsnips. We’re fans of stuffed squash and homemade sauerkraut this time of the year. Lighting candles can turn an ordinary meal into a celebration.

  • Reflect

Spend some time relaxing together in front of the fire. Share one thing you’ve lost and one thing you’ve gained over the past year. Tell stories about your best and worst holiday memories.  Make wishes for the coming year. Reflect on the lessons of winter: the importance of rest, dormancy, and stillness.

The key to seasonal celebrations is to make them simple and relaxing. The last thing most of us need is another stressful winter tradition.

In the dept of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer. -Albert Camus #quote

What’s your favorite thing about winter? Leave me a comment. I’d love to hear about it!

(Editor’s note: This is an updated version of a post originally published December 14, 2009)

If you liked this post, you may enjoy these related posts:

  • How to Thrive During the Winter
  • 6 Fun Things to Do on a Cold, Dark Night
  • Winter Stargazing: 7 Reasons to Observe the Night Skies
  • Why You Should Sync Your Schedule with the Seasons
  • 5 Ways to Make February Fabulous

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December 13, 2022Filed Under: Family life, Nature Tagged With: Celebrations, Entertainment, Family life, Family Traditions, First day of Winter, Holidays, Nature, Nature celebrations, Nature walks, Seasonal celebrations, Seasons, Winter, Winter Solstice

Celebrate the First Day of Spring

By Abby Quillen

Celebrate spring

Finally . . . the first day of spring is almost here! Here are some simple ways to celebrate.

Explore

Go on a hike and identify wildflowers if some are sprouting in your area. Or visit a local farm and see if you can get a glimpse of calves, lambs, or chicks in the barnyard.

Play

Fly a kite. Or make dandelion or clover chains and wear them as spring crowns.

Gather

Hunt for spring flowers, cherry buds, egg shells, a bird’s nest, and other signs of spring. Decorate the house with crocuses, daffodils, tulips, or dandelions.

Observe

Watch the sun rise and set. (You can find out what time it will rise here.)

Plant

Sow seeds. Have each family member pick a favorite flower to plant. Designate a special garden, and make a ceremony of it.

Read

Check out this list of novels “where the characters blossom and where there is hope in the midst of struggles, like flowers on bare branches.”

And don’t forget about the kids. Check out some of my family’s favorite spring picture books:

  • Spring: An Alphabet Acrostic by Steven Schur
  • Spring by Ron Hirschi
  • Home for a Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown

We also enjoy reading aloud from The Spring Equinox: Celebrating the Greening of the Earth by Ellen Jackson.

Eat

Make a spring feast with the first crops of the season. Dandelion leaves, steamed nettles, and asparagus are delicious spring greens. Other traditional spring foods include eggs, ham, and sweets. Eat outside if weather permits, or have a picnic on a blanket in the living room.

Make

Attract birds to your yard by making these easy Audubon-approved bird feeders out of peanut butter and bird seed.

Or create your own traditions to welcome spring this Thursday.

Resources for seasonal celebrations:

The Artful Spring by Jean Van’t Hul
Ceremonies of the Seasons by Jennifer Cole
The Spring Equinox: Celebrate the Greening of the Earth by Ellen Jackson
Together: Creating Family Traditions by Rondi Hillstrom Davis and Janell Sewall Oakes
The Creative Family by Amanda Blake Soule

Do you have plans or ideas for how to celebrate spring this year? I’d love to hear about them in the comments.

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March 17, 2014Filed Under: Family life, Parenting, Simple Living Tagged With: Celebrations, Family life, First Day of Spring, Seasonal celebrations, Seasons, Spring Equinox

A Morning at the Pumpkin Patch

By Abby Quillen

We are just two weeks away from launching my dad’s anthology … and we are busy! But we’re also having a blast. After working in many corners of the book world for more than a decade, I’m completely hooked on publishing. I’ll have so much more to share with you about the process once I have a moment to catch my breath.

This weekend we managed to take a morning off to make our annual trek to choose the perfect pumpkin. I hope you too are getting some opportunities to enjoy this beautiful season.

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October 21, 2013Filed Under: Family life Tagged With: Autumn, Fall, Fall Traditions, Family Celebrations, Family life, Family Traditions, Halloween, October, Pumpkin Patch, Seasonal celebrations

Hello Fall

By Abby Quillen

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“Summer ends, and Autumn comes, and he who would have it otherwise would have high tide always and a full moon every night.” ― Hal Borland

Yesterday was the first day of fall. To celebrate, we went on one of our favorite hikes, stopped at the bakery on the way home, and made a feast of red lentil dahl for dinner. It’s raining, our pumpkins are bright orange, and we’re well into the back-to-school routine. Yet still, I can’t quite believe summer’s over.

It’s Ezra’s last year at home before kindergarten, and something about that makes this season feel even more fleeting than usual. We go on morning adventures every chance we get, and I try to memorize the way the boys look as they ride their bikes and run together, how their hair glows in the autumn sunshine.

We’re savoring the bumper crop of figs on our neighborhood trees, the strangely lovely smell of our neighbors’ rotting apples, and the taste of the last sun-ripened tomatoes. It feels like we may be in for an early and soggy winter this year. I’m both looking forward to a quieter season and missing the one past, which I suppose is what autumn’s all about.

I’ve decided to celebrate the cooler weather by reading lots of novels. If you’d like to join me, here are some book lists. I’ve also just discovered the wonder of sending long-form essays to my Kindle. I’m in love!

I hope you too are enjoying these first fall days.

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September 23, 2013Filed Under: Family life, Nature Tagged With: Autumn, Autumnal Equinox, Celebrating the Seasons, Fall, Family life, Family Traditions, First Day of Autumn, Seasonal Celbrations

The Cost of Things

By Abby Quillen

Caped Avengers 009

The past two weekends, my neighbors held a yard sale. Apparently my boys could smell commerce happening nearby, because within moments of awakening, they were at the window. “The neighbor has a tent on his lawn,” Ezra announced. Both boys spent most of the weekends outside asking questions and fondling nicknacks or glued to the window watching people come and go.

“We need a canoe.” “Ball next door!” “Mom, can we go look at the games again?” “My boat.” They managed to tote home a number of odd things from the free box, including a stained white plastic ball that looks like it came from the antenna of a Jeep, a telephone that would have been state-of-the-art when I was Ezra’s age, and a wide-brimmed hat that fits no one in the house.

These finds joined other relics that Ezra’s lugged home over the years, including a couple of other land-line telephones, a broken audio cassette recorder, and a microphone. Apparently our compulsion to collect stuff starts at a young age, and it only seems to escalate from there. On our recent camping trip, I was amazed by all the things people bring to “get away from it all” – super-sized motorhomes, patio furniture, dog beds and crates and yards. Of course, we toted our share of stuff back and forth from our car, although fortunately we were severely constricted by its compact size.

It’s not that I don’t love stuff. Every time I turn on my washing machine, drop into my bed at the end of the day, or turn on my computer, I am thankful for the material things that make our lives better. My goal is not necessarily to have less. I’m not on a mission to pare my belongings to 100 things as many bloggers have amazingly done. I just want to be intentional about what I bring into my life. I want to spend my money, time, and attention on things that bring me happiness and satisfaction. And I want to try to keep in mind a purchase’s entire life cycle: where did it come from and where will it end up?

In this issue of YES! Magazine (all about the “Human Cost of Stuff”) Annie Leonard says it well: “I’m neither for nor against stuff. I like stuff it’s well-made, honestly marketed, used for a long time, and at the end of its life recycled in a way that doesn’t trash the planet, poison people, or exploit workers. Our stuff should not be artifacts of indulgence and disposability, like toys that are forgotten 15 minutes after the wrapping comes off, but things that are both practical and meaningful.” (My review of Judy Wicks’ Good Morning, Beautiful Business is also in this issue. Check it out if you see a copy!)

Visiting second-hand stores helps me be more intentional about new purchases. All those cluttered shelves of hardly used, outdated appliances helps take the sheen off the marketing and shiny newness in box and department stores. Recently Ezra and I wandered through several used stores together. He’s been wanting a Leap Pad learning system, because he loves playing with his friend’s, and I heard used stores tend to have vast quantities of them. When the first three stores didn’t have one, Ezra was desperate to bring home something – anything. He insisted he would be happy with a pair of butterfly wings, a toy cash register, or a toy laptop instead of a Leap Pad. I convinced him to wait until we checked out the last store.

They had exactly what Ezra wanted, and it was just $5. “I’m so glad we waited,” Ezra beamed as he hugged his new Leap Pad. I’m hoping he learned something about being intentional about purchases. And for now, fortunately, the yard sales are over; please don’t let any of our neighbors open an ice cream cart.

Do you try to be intentional about your purchases? Do you have any tips to share? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

September 16, 2013Filed Under: Family life, Household, Simple Living Tagged With: Annie Leonard, Being Intentional, Consumerism, Family life, Intentional Living, Material Things, Minimalism, Parenting, Simple Living, Stuff, Sustainability, YES! Magazine

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