It is a auspicious day to create equilibrium in the home—declutter, redecorate, restore balance in your living (and working) spaces, and re-evaluate your daily rhythm. During the equinox, our star crosses what we call the “celestial equator”—an imaginary extension of Earth’s equator into space. The equinox occurs precisely when the Sun’s center passes through this plane. When the Sun crosses the celestial equator from north to south it marks the autumnal equinox; when it crosses from south to north it marks the vernal equinox. Twice a year, on the equinoxes, day and night are equal in length.
The vernal and autumnal equinoxes represent turning points in the year for agricultural communities. Planting season begins in the spring when the snow melts and soil thaws. As days begin to shorten and temperatures cool, crops are harvested and stored for winter. The full moon that occurs nearest the autumnal equinox is called the “Harvest Moon.” Around the Autumnal equinox, the full Moon rises around sunset for several nights in a row, which traditionally provided farmers with just enough extra light for them to finish their harvests before the killing frosts of Fall set in.
Many cultures practice gratitude for the bounty of harvest in festive and ceremonial ways. Visiting Fall festivals (Evergreen State Fair, Water Lantern Festival, Oktoberfest, Salmon Days) as well as local farms, orchards and pumpkin patches has become a popular Fall ritual in the Doerfel household. The hearty locally grown produce we pick—pumpkins and squashes, huckleberries and cranberries, brussels sprouts and cabbage, apples and fresh hops—provides the ingredients which we focus our Fall meals around.
In Washington, Fall marks the end of hiking season as throngs of outdoors-folk take to the trails to catch a glimpse of blazing larches, vine maple, Oregon grape, elderberry, huckleberry, snowberry & goat’s beard before the high-mountain trails get buried under feet of snow. The family tradition I look forward to most is road trip the Cascade Loop during peak color (which corresponds with my birthday 😊) There’s no better way than a four or five day road trip—with frequent stops to stretch our legs, take in the scenery and savor local fare—exploring Whidbey Island & Deception Pass, the Skagit Valley & Mt Vernon (Edison, LaConner, Burlington & Concrete), the North Cascades & Washington Pass (Heather Maple Pass, Fourth-of-July Pass, Cascade Pass & Blue Lake), the Methow Valley & Winthrop (Mazama & Twisp), Chelan & the Columbia Valley, the Wenatchee Valley & Leavenworth (Wenatchee & Cashmere), the Central Cascades & Stevens Pass (the Enchantments, Spider Meadow), the Skykomish Valley & Monroe (Index & Skykomish) to celebrate Fall in Washington.
What special plans do you have this Fall?
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