Autumn Equinox

The Autumn Equinox, known as Qiufen in Chinese, is the 16th of the 24 Solar Terms on the traditional Chinese calendar. Typically occurring between September 22 and 24 on the Gregorian calendar, it falls on September 23 this year. On this day, the sun shines directly on the equator, causing day and night to have equal length across the globe. From that time onwards, days in the Northern Hemisphere gradually shorten while nights lengthen, temperatures drop steadily and late autumn officially sets in. Typical phenomena of the season include "thunder ceasing" and "hibernating insects sealing their nests." Chinese society marks the celestial event with customs that include preparing meals with autumn vegetables as the main ingredient, flying kites and playing egg-balancing games. The Autumn Equinox also signals the peak of the harvest season in agriculture as major grains are ripe for the picking. As Earth transitions, we are prompted to connect with our inner rhythms through rituals rooted in ancient wisdom and observed for millennia.