12 Hours of Night & Day

This Tuesday at 6:45 a.m. a celestial event will happen that occurs once every year. On this day the sun will rise directly to the east and set directly to the west because it is exactly 90 degrees relative to our equator. The autumnal equinox, or fall as it is more commonly known, is my favorite season of the year. Shorter days, noticeably cooler weather, beautiful foliage as deciduous trees display spectacular colors, and the kick-off of the holiday season. Known as Mabon to Pagan cultures, it was created to give thanks for the summer and pay homage to the upcoming darkness. Many cultures and countries have developed their own Mabonesque rituals.

China celebrates the change in season with The Moon Festival. Most Chinese celebrate the occasion with a family reunion. When the first full moon rises families congregate and eat moon cakes and sing moon poems. Others see it as a romantic occasion which is the reason the Moon Festival started. Legend has it that a man named Hou Yi was tempted by a The Queen of Heaven but stayed faithful to his wife Chang'e. Couples today meet and gaze at the moon together and eat… you guessed it, moon cakes. Mooncakes are filled with a rich thick filling usually made from red bean or lotus seed paste and covered with a thin (2–3 mm) crust and may contain yolks from salted duck eggs.

Japan celebrates the equinox with a period called Ohigan, a Buddhist holiday which translated means "other shore". Started in the 8th century, field workers used this time to reevaluate their faith and renew their loyalty to Buddha. Today many take the week off and flee the bustling cities to visit relatives in other parts of the country. The mad scramble creates incredible traffic jams which are the top story on the news. It is also customary to visit the gravesites of relatives and spruce up the site leaving fresh flowers on the grave during the holiday week. Ohagi is a rice cake covered with bean jam, soybean flour, and ground sesame is the food of choice during the week.

Catholics throughout the world celebrate with a huge feast called Michaelmas named after the Archangel Michael. The day of the feast is September 29th and was created to lure faithful Catholics away from the numerous pagan celebrations occurring during the equinox. Centuries ago in England, it also marked the time when servants were paid immediately after the harvest then the scramble to find new jobs began. Employment fairs were created as a result and became huge community celebrations. Nuts and berries were usually plentiful and if you could afford it a fattened goose was the main attraction for the feast.

In India, Navratri is a Hindu festival lasting several days. Navratri honors the divine feminine Devi Shakti who demonstrates qualities of strength, transformation, and compassion. The regions of India are numerous so observances can be different. A typical Navratri celebration will include a reenactment and recital of the legend done on an elaborately decorated stage. Gold statues also adorn the stage and on the final day of the celebration, they are dipped in water and then burnt with fireworks to mark evil's destruction. Fasting is normal with the diet limited to fruits, vegetables, dairy products, tapioca, and naan made with buckwheat flour.

Neo-druids gather at Stonehenge regularly and the autumnal equinox is no exception. They gather to give thanks for the bountiful harvest of summer crops and to prepare for the darkness looming ahead in winter. Modern Druids consider themselves Pagans, however, some ancient Druids identified themselves as Christians. Druidry is one of the newest religious movements originating in the 17th century as a cultural movement, becoming a religious movement a century later. Ceremonies are performed in a circle and the food is eaten in the same manner. Beverages are passed around in a chalice, various loaves of bread and cakes complete the meal.

In western cultures, such as the U.S. and Europe, the celebration is more about the activities of the season than the actual celestial event. Germany's Oktoberfest, Halloween, and of course Thanksgiving are just a few of the ways we celebrate the season. Of course, it wouldn't be fall without a great harvest festival, displaying the bounty of fruits and vegetables gathered by farmers throughout the northern hemisphere. Everything from wheat crafted into bread and beer, apples, and numerous varieties of gourds including pumpkins are the stars of these food festivals. By the way, some food fun for thought… An egg can be stood up on a flat surface easiest on the equinox.