Chichen Itza is a large archaeological site found in Yucatán, Mexico.Įvery year during the fall equinox celebration, visitors gather to see the “snake of sunlight” that appears on the steps of the main pyramid right as the sun shines over the equator. The Mayans were devoted astronomers, and it’s obvious in their architecture. They make a point to meditate and spend time with living family members, too! The Japanese honor this equinox celebration by visiting, cleaning, and decorating the graves of family and friends who have passed on. This autumn tradition is based on the fact that the sun sets in the west during the equinox, which is where Japanese followers of the Buddhist religion believe the afterlife can be found. Higan is a Buddhist celebration that takes place exclusively in Japan during the 3 days before and after both the spring and autumn equinoxes. You can see for yourself how the crowd goes silent as the sun rises! Visitors who have witnessed this equinox celebration liken it to a spiritual experience. If you want to participate, don’t let a fear of not fitting in stop you – each year, the crowd is a mix of those participating in Pagan and Wiccan traditions that celebrate Mabon alongside local families and tourists. While this is a lesser-known autumn tradition, it is every bit as interesting as the others!Įvery year at dusk on the morning of the autumn equinox, visitors from all over the world gather around Stonehenge to watch the morning sunrise over the stones and cast its autumn light over the land for the first time that year. This festival is also used to celebrate marriages, and many cities even host matchmaking activities for young people! During the Moon Festival, the eldest member of each family slices a mooncake and passes it out to the family to signify unity between each member. A traditional mooncake is a small round pastry with a rich, thick filling usually made from lotus seed paste (other typical fillings include red bean paste or mixed nuts) surrounded by a thin crust. Making mooncakes is another long-standing tradition of this fall equinox celebration. If you visit China during this time, you will know it when you see it! Traditionally, the city streets are lit up with lanterns of all sizes and colors.
Thus, at this time of balance we too must remember that all things cycle and that endings are a good time to celebrate our successes and to honor nature and its gifts.Also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Moon Festival is one of the most important celebrations in Chinese culture! It is almost as popular as the Chinese New Year. Winter shall come and be quickly followed by spring and the return of the golden one. Nothing gold can stay, something Walt Whitman reminds us in his famous poem.
As the leaves turn golden and wither away, Mabon, the gold one, like the sun, fades away into the wintry embrace Earth Mother. The holiday is named for the Welsh deity, Mabon, son of the Earth Mother goddess Modron.
It is a time of ritual celebration and balance, of reviewing our lives and of making plans for our future. This feast of Mabon thus marks a moment nature is in balance. Afterwards moving towards the winter solstice there are increasing hours of darkness. At Autumn Equinox the hours of day and night are equal. It is a time when the northern and southern hemispheres receive the same amount of sunlight as the earth is tilted at a right angle to the sun. On or around September 22nd, it is a time of giving thanks. It is a time we take a few moments to honor the changing seasons and celebrate the harvest. Come and join us in celebrating the autumn equinox, the mid-harvest festival of Mabon, the sacred child, the Golden one.
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