Tomorrow, 22 of September is the Fall Equinox, a time of the year, when the duration of nighttime and daytime is equal. In many countries this day marks the first day of autumn.

In Armenia autumn officially starts on September 1, but for years I’ve waited until 22 to start decorating and finally feeling autumnal, because even the weather doesn’t really change until that time. Armenian Septembers are usually almost as hot as Augusts, so welcoming fall later in the month totally makes sense. Well at least for me.

This day is celebrated in many countries and cultures. The wiccas celebrate it as Mabon in their wheel of the year. There are lots of traditions and festivities that go back to medieval times or even earlier than that, when people were gaining the last bits of warmth and summertime and were getting ready, hoping and praying for a favorable wintertime. Of course now most people don’t really care about days or seasons and don’t even know that this day is quite special. In modern lives there’s no place for superstitions and old traditions.

Nevertheless, many people love to spend this day a little differently and do some of the rituals for welcoming autumn. Including me. If you’ve been in this blog for a while, you’ll know that I really love celebrating any kinds of holidays in my own way, despite the origin and religion of those days. Same with Equinox, it’s just a chance to do some fun activities and get ready for my favorite season to come. So, if you want to do sth unique on this day, here are a few things that you can do:

1. Cleaning. I just realized that pretty much all my lists start with cleaning. But I’m not making this up, on Equinox you’re supposed to clean your home thoroughly, throw all the old and unnecessary things away, kind of making space for new season and new energies to come. And of course opening the windows so that some fresh air will come and fill the house with last drops of warmth and freshness. You can also cleanse the aura of your place, by lighting some candles, or burning incense.

2. Baking. Traditionally people have been baking bread on this day, as it has a special symbolic meaning. But you can as well bake anything you want. Since we’re welcoming autumn, the best substitute would be an apple or a pumpkin pie.

3. Having a walk. In a park, in a forest, doesn’t really matter. Feel the autumn approaching, try to notice the early signs of it. You can even collect some beautiful yellow leaves, pinecones, acorns, mushrooms, whatever you find. These are the wealth of this season, and they can become a great talisman or just a beautiful decor.

4. Decorating. I guess this one should have come after cleaning, but whatever. Since the days will be getting darker and gloomier, you can compensate that by adding some bright autumn colors in your home via blankets, pillows, candles, flower arrangements (even dried flowers) etc. Let your house feel like home, cozy, warm and welcoming.

5. Celebrating. Last but not least, have a little low-key feast with your friends or family. Be grateful for each other, enjoy the freshly baked pie or bread, the early autumn harvest and just have fun, cause that’s what every single day is for. Happy Equinox! 🍂