I’m continuing my recent tradition of talking about each upcoming month, so today’s blog is about, you guessed it, September.
I’ve mentioned it before, but September was originally the seventh month of the ancient Roman calendar — thus, its name…. Septem, which translates into “the seventh month.” Of course the addition of the month of January and February changed things for all the months. September used to have only 29 days, but thanks to Julius Caesar’s reform of the Roman calendar, it got an extra day.
The Romans usually associated different months with different gods. The month of September is associated with Vulcan, the Roman god of fire — probably because it was a fiery hot month (when it was the seventh month of the year.)
September is the month that fall officially begins — on the September equinox that occurs between the 21st and 23rd of the month.
A number of significant events occur, or have occurred, in September….. on September 1, 1939, Hitler invaded Poland. September 11, 2001 changed all of us — and the world. It’s now know as Patriot’s Day. September 17th has always been an important day, but today it’s more important than ever — it’s Constitution Day. The U.S. Constitution was adopted on September 17, 1787. And of course, September 19th is Talk Like A Pirate Day!! September was the month former President Gerald Ford gave a pardon to former President Richard M. Nixon after Watergate. September is the most active month for hurricanes in the Atlantic and, on average, more babies are born in September than any other month.
September begins on the same day of the week of just one other month — December, but the month does not end on the same day of the week as any other month. And it’s the only month with the same number of letters its number and name — September is the ninth month and has nine letters in its name.
September’s full Harvest Moon will reach its peak in the morning hours of September 10 — it will appear just after sunset on Friday (9th) and reach peak illumination at 5:58 A.M. on Saturday (10th.)
The first full Moon that happens nearest to the fall equinox (Sept. 22 or 23) always takes on the name “Harvest Moon. If October’s full Moon happens to occur closer to the equinox than September’s, it takes on the name “Harvest Moon” instead. If that happens, September’s full Moon is referred to as the Corn Moon.
So happy September and all the things it brings — like football, and I can hardly wait for the 19th to “Talk Like A Pirate.”
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