Today is the first day of autumn (in my hemisphere), one of the most unpredictable days of the year. True, this year it’s been almost sardonically on-the-nose (where I live): yesterday was a blazing final summer day in the 90s, today is a crisply cool first day of fall in the 60s. It’s as if Mother Nature were saying, “Oh, you want fall? Here, eat this!”
But then again, that’s autumn, the conflicted season. Sometimes is Summtum, unseasonably warm. Somtimes is Fallmer, unseasonably cool. And sometimes it’s Falltumn, the season we love so much we’ve given it two names!
Americans call it fall (an old Anglo-Saxon word) because, well, things fall. A very realistic term, considering that the celebrated symbols of the season—those exquisite leaves—last about ten minutes before they fall to the ground. It’s the season of the fleeting, the unattainable. What we want are trees that are red, what we get are leaves that are dead. Red leaves and dead leaves. There’s something very human about that.
On the other hand, the lovely French-Latinate word autumn, meaning “mature,” suggesting a magnificent French gentlemen strutting his stuff, only to be tripped by a cocky younger fellow (probably an American) and falling to the ground. What he wants is not what he gets because, after all, being mature means the end is near.
In fact…
In most of the world’s languages the name of the season means ending. In the ancient Hebrew calendar it’s the season of harvest or “ingathering,” but it’s also the start of a new year (it is for Muslims, as well).
Do you see the spiritual longing there?
We want it both ways. We’re as conflicted as the season is. We want to retain the old and lay hold of the new. But we can’t. We have to let go of what was in order to lay hold of what will be.
Ah, humans. They want it all. And who can fault ‘em? They’re made that way.
So welcome to falltumn.
Spring season brings new leaves in the 🎄🌴 trees. 🌞💥
Thanks for giving me the kick in the pants I needed to share my perspective on this fine change of sesson. Now, I must fine the words.
Ah. Don’t hurry on our account 🤣
Mini hippie retrons of the sneezin’!
Cooler temps are on their way here. I love autumn. I love this post. God bless, Mitch!
You too, Nancy!
Fall/Winter are my two favorite seasons, and no matter what anyone wants to call Fall, I am here for it all!
A Fallter fan, eh?
Guilty as charged, Mitch!
Beautiful and educational piece! After 2 weeks straight of blazing temps over 100 degrees here in So Cal, we are FINALLY enjoying a crisp morning, followed by warm sunshine most days. Our leaves DO turn, too, contrary to popular opinion elsewhere. The prettiest are the blazing reds and oranges of liquid ambers — They are in full autumn/fall glory around Thanksgiving, when the Midwest and East are already blanketed in snow. I call them “California Christmas trees.”
We loved the liquid amber trees that lined the boulevards of Burbank when we lived there! We have them in our yard here in Cincinnati, but everyone calls them sweetgum trees. They’re beautiful, but for some reason, unlike the liquid ambers in Burbank, they drop huge numbers of spikey balls (seed clusters). Could it be we just never noticed the spikeballs in Burbank, or were they a different variety of sweetgum?
Mitch, I don’t know if there are varieties with no spike balls. Those are the one drawback. We had one on our home property and my husband cut it down because he once stepped on a spike ball in his bare feet! (He is now my EX-husband.)
Happy Falltumn to you, too! Think I’ll go have a slice of pumpkin-spiced, hot apple cider, chestnut pie to celebrate.
So true Mitch. I decided to act as if it were still summer anyway, but that was yesterday.
I want cool breezy, sunny Fall , not wet , dreary Fall. 😁
Here in the Pacific NW, specifically Oregon, we’re still riding the roller coaster of hot and chilled temps. We ramp up into the mid 80s and then slide down to the high 50s overnight. What would you call this, Mitch, oh Clever One?
Magic 8-Ball Mitch says, “Reply hazy, try again.”
I happily walking my “loop” with my ears covered and wearing gloves! (From frostbite on January 10, 1955)
For many years, both as a student and as a teacher, I found the sadness of summer’s end was chased away by the excitement of another school year starting. Now that I’m retired, it’s weirdly easy to forget what month it is, especially since I have grandchildren who have already been in school for six weeks! (What’s up with THAT?!)
I know what you mean, Annie. There’s fall and then there’s “school fall” (August).
But having the Christmas stuff on display in Costco is a little too much! (“Costco winter”?)
;>)
Yeah, it’s fall here in Kentucky, also. The French never seemed to figure out how to pronounce half their letters, ergo, Autum is spelled Autumn. Kind of like Ver-sails here in Kentucky, which my GPS pronounces Ver-sigh (trying to be fancy French, I guess). Both spell it Versailles, but Kentucky’s pronunciation is closer to the mark. 🤠
Lovely piece.
I like, “Ah, humans. They want it all. And who can fault ‘em? They’re made that way.” So true.
Have a great weekend, Mitch.
You too, Chaya.
Wonderful!!
Thank you!
Does having a landscape of evergreens explain, then, why Australians call it autumn?
Who knows, Gwen. Everything’s upside down in Oz. ;>)
It sure is at the moment Mike, because my hometown is hosting the UCI World Championship cycle races. In the States, apparently you need a subscription to Flobikes, but my girlfriend in Texas says she gets it on ABC streaming. Or you will find some replays on youtube. Hope you get the chance to glimpse Wonderful Wollongong (even though the last days have been rainy and windy 🙂 )
Wow, that’s impressive. Have fun!
I say fall, but autumn sounds so much prettier!
Here in Prescott Valley, AZ, it can be Falter… often getting some nice snow before the first day of winter… Seasons, they do as they please, but I am lovin’ the cooler weather we’re getting right now.
I adore the visual of the mature French gentlemen being tripped by the cocky younger (probably American) fellow. “Welcome to fall” 👌🏽🍂🍁
This is some cool stuff I had never thought about before. Thanks for teaching me! And thank you for subscribing to my blog.
A soft wind marks Autumn here making us feel happy it getting cooler than before.