6 Unique Ways to Commemorate the Autumnal Equinox

In the Northern Hemisphere, the autumnal equinox occurs on September 22, 2024, marking the moment when nights grow longer than days as the North Pole tilts away from the sun. While Labor Day signals summer's end, the equinox officially ushers in the fall season.

Although shorter days and cooler temperatures might evoke a sense of melancholy, people worldwide embrace the season with vibrant celebrations. Discover six global traditions for honoring the autumnal equinox.

Celebrate the autumnal equinox by indulging in apple-themed festivities.

In pagan traditions, the equinox is known as Mabon, or the Second Harvest. It’s a period to express gratitude for the summer’s bounty and acknowledge the approaching darker days. It also serves as preparation for Samhain (October 31–November 1), the grand Celtic festival that influenced Halloween. Common Mabon rituals include creating an altar adorned with seasonal produce, reflecting on balance, harvesting and enjoying apples, presenting apples to the goddess, sharing meals, and appreciating life’s blessings.

Pay a visit to your ancestors’ burial sites.

In Japan, both equinoxes are observed during a period known as Ohigan (also written as O-higan). Rooted in Japanese Buddhist tradition, it is believed that the afterlife lies to the west, and during the equinoxes, the sun sets precisely in that direction. These celestial events symbolize life’s transitions. Ohigan is thus a time to honor ancestors by tending to their graves, leaving flowers, and reflecting on their memory. It’s also an opportunity for meditation and reconnecting with living family members.

Mark the autumnal equinox by enjoying moon cakes.

The Moon Festival, or Mid-Autumn Festival, is celebrated in China and Vietnam during the full moon closest to the equinox. According to the lunar calendar, it falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. Traditions include moon gazing and savoring moon cakes, with Moon Pies often substituting in the southern United States. A comparable Korean holiday is known as “Chuseok.”

Indulge in nuts and a plump goose.

Michaelmas is the Catholic feast honoring the Archangel Michael. Some traditions expand it to celebrate all archangels—Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, and Raphael—as the Feast of the Angels. Observed on September 29, the feast is believed to align with the autumn equinox as a Christian adaptation of earlier pagan festivities. In England, it marked a transitional period, with servants receiving post-harvest wages and workers seeking new employment. The fairs that facilitated these transitions evolved into vibrant community celebrations.

Customs include collecting and consuming nuts (a practice originating on Holy Rood Day, September 14) and feasting on a well-fed goose, if one could afford such a treat.

Plan a trip to Stonehenge for the autumnal equinox.

Neo-Druids and pagan enthusiasts converge at Stonehenge to witness the sunrise during the autumnal equinox. This annual event occurs during both the spring and fall equinoxes. These occasions, along with the solstices, are rare opportunities for the public to experience the ancient stones up close.

Witness the appearance of a shadowy serpent at a Maya temple during the autumnal equinox.

Legend has it that Kukulcan, a feathered serpent god, descends upon the ancient Maya city of Chichen Itza during each equinox. During both the spring and autumnal equinoxes, spectators assemble to observe the snake-like shadow descending the pyramid named after the deity.