Editing Autumn (section)

==Date definitions==
Some cultures regard the autumnal [[equinox]] as "mid-autumn", while others with a longer [[Seasonal lag|temperature lag]] treat the equinox as the start of autumn.<ref>{{cite web|title=NOAA's National Weather Service – Glossary|url=http://www.crh.noaa.gov/glossary.php?word=autumn|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111152359/http://www.crh.noaa.gov/glossary.php?word=autumn|archive-date=2012-01-11|access-date=2010-08-06|publisher=Crh.noaa.gov}}</ref> In the English-speaking world of high latitude countries, autumn traditionally began with [[Lammas Day]] and ended around [[Hallowe'en]], the approximate mid-points between [[midsummer]], the autumnal equinox, and [[midwinter]]. Meteorologists (and Australia<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/glossary/seasons.shtml|title=Climate Glossary – Seasons|website=www.bom.gov.au |publisher=[[Bureau of Meteorology]], Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://media.bom.gov.au/social/blog/1762/solstices-and-equinoxes-the-reasons-for-the-seasons/ |title=Solstices and equinoxes: the reasons for the seasons |work=[[Bureau of Meteorology]] |date=21 June 2018 |access-date=16 January 2020}}</ref> and most of the [[temperate countries]] in the southern hemisphere)<ref>{{cite news |last1=Deguara |first1=Brittney |title=When does winter officially start in New Zealand? |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/113038178/when-does-winter-officially-start-in-new-zealand |work=Stuff |date=27 May 2019 |access-date=4 October 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tourism.net.nz/new-zealand/about-new-zealand/weather-and-climate.html |title=New Zealand Weather and Climate, New Zealand Weather, Temperatures and Climate in New Zealand |publisher=Tourism.net.nz |access-date=2010-08-06}}</ref> use a definition based on [[Gregorian calendar]] months, with autumn being September, October, and November in the northern hemisphere,<ref>{{cite web|title= Understanding Weather – Autumn Forecasting|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/understanding/autumn_forecasting.shtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100904052411/http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/understanding/autumn_forecasting.shtml|archive-date=4 September 2010|access-date=2010-08-06|publisher=BBC Weather Centre}}</ref> and March, April, and May in the southern hemisphere.

In the higher latitude countries in the Northern Hemisphere, autumn traditionally starts with the [[September equinox]] (21 to 24&nbsp;September)<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/22/first-day-of-fall-2010-au_n_734692.html |title=First Day Of Fall 2010: Autumn Equinox Photos |work=HuffPost|date= 22 September 2010|access-date=2010-09-22 |first=Craig |last=Kanalley| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100924195451/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/22/first-day-of-fall-2010-au_n_734692.html| archive-date= 24 September 2010 |url-status = live}}</ref> and ends with the winter solstice (21 or 22 December).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.almanac.com/content/first-day-winter-winter-solstice|title=The First Day of Winter: Winter Solstice 2018|website=Old Farmer's Almanac}}</ref> Popular culture in the United States associates Labor Day, the first Monday in September, as the end of summer and the start of autumn. Certain summer traditions, such as wearing white, are discouraged after that date.<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://time.com/5658699/white-after-labor-day/ |title=Why We Can't Wear White After Labor Day |author=Laura FitzPatrick |date=8 September 2009 |magazine=Time |access-date=25 February 2011}}</ref> As daytime and nighttime temperatures decrease, trees [[autumn leaf color|change colour]] and then shed their leaves.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/northamerica/8050370/Fall-in-North-America-autumn-colour-in-New-England-and-beyond.html|title = Travel|date = 11 October 2010|access-date = 15 October 2015|website = Fall in North America: autumn colour in New England and beyond|last = Arnold|first = Kathy}}</ref> Persians celebrate the beginning of the autumn on [[Mehregan]].

Under the traditional East Asian [[solar term]] system, autumn starts on or around 8 August and ends on or about 7 November. In Ireland, the autumn months according to the national meteorological service, [[Met Éireann]], are [[September]], [[October]], and [[November]].<ref name="met.ie">{{cite web|date=3 December 2007|title=The Weather of Autumn 2007 (September, October & November summary)|url=http://www.met.ie/climate/monthly_summarys/autumn07.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101230150034/http://www.met.ie/climate/monthly_summarys/autumn07.pdf|archive-date=30 December 2010|access-date=10 October 2012|work=Met Éireann – The Irish Meteorological Service Online}}</ref> However, according to the [[Irish Calendar]], which is based on ancient [[Gaelic Ireland|Gaelic]] traditions, autumn lasts throughout the months of August, September, and October, or possibly a few days later, depending on tradition. In the [[Irish language]], September is known as {{lang|ga|Meán Fómhair}} ("middle of autumn") and October as {{lang|ga|Deireadh Fómhair}} ("end of autumn").<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailyedge.ie/summer-its-literally-not-what-it-used-to-be-164328-Jun2011/|title=Summer, it's literally not what it used to be|first=Hugh|last=O'Connell|website=The Daily Edge}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://everestlanguageschool.com/autumn-in-ireland/|title=Autumn in Ireland – Everest Language School|date=10 October 2016}}</ref> Late [[Roman Republic]] scholar [[Marcus Terentius Varro]] defined autumn as lasting from the third day before the [[Roman calendar#Days|Ides]] of [[Sextilis]] (August 11) to the fifth day before the Ides of [[November (Roman month)|November]] (November 9).<ref name="Varro37BC">{{cite wikisource |author=Varro |author-link=Varro |title=Res Rusticae (Country Matters) |volume=Book 1 |orig-date=c. 37 BCE |plainchapter=4 Concerning the Agricultural Seasons}}</ref>