The official first day of Fall is officially Thursday, September 22, 2022. This is only for the Northern Hemisphere, since the Southern Hemisphere experiences the reverse, and this equinox begins their Spring.
What Is the Fall Equinox?
The fall equinox—also called the autumnal equinox—is the start of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. With the autumnal equinox, the sun crosses the celestial equator moving south, signifying the start of the colder months of the year for the Northern Hemisphere. (And the warmer months of the year, or spring, in the Southern Hemisphere.)
Fall is synonymous with a lot of things. Like back to school, football season, Halloween, and pumpkin spice everything. The days get shorter, the weather cools off, weekends are spent apple picking, and the leaves on the trees begin to turn glorious shades of orange, yellow and red. And while some of us start indulging in those beloved fall activities as soon as Labor Day passes—the long holiday weekend traditionally marking the end of the summer season.
Best Places to See Fall Foliage in the United States:
Bar Harbor, Maine
Ozark National Forest, Arkansas
FUN FACTS ABOUT FALL
- Americans typically refer to this time of year as “fall,” while the British use the word “autumn.”
- Fall colors are caused by the amount of sugar in leaves.
- Birds spend most of the fall migrating.
- Since 1997, Autumn has been one of the top 100 names for girls in the United States.
- Pumpkin pie spice doesn’t taste like pumpkin.
- There’s a distinct “fall” scent that you can only smell in certain months.
- Monarch butterfly migration begins in fall.