What do the Pyramids of Giza, olive oil, and a Thanksgiving turkey have in common? They’re all important cultural symbols to the autumn equinox and the changing of the mid-year seasons regardless of the culture’s location around the world.
So what is the autumn equinox, and why is it significant in so many cultures? Learn how different cultures celebrate the autumn equinox and when it takes place this year, depending on where you live.
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What is the autumn equinox?
The autumn equinox is one of two times per year where the sun is directly over the equator, making the day and night equal length. It comes from the Latin word aequinoctium, made up of aequus (equal) and nox (night).
Also known as the autumnal equinox or the fall equinox, this important day marks the official end of September and beginning of autumn in the northern hemisphere. The only other time this alignment happens during the year is during the spring equinox, which begins the spring season.
Is the equinox the same as the solstice?
Some people mix up the words “equinox” and “solstice” because they both indicate a transition between seasons. However, the winter and summer solstice events mark the times when the sun is angled away from the equator, both on the longest day of the year (summer solstice) and the shortest day of the year (winter solstice). Essentially, the autumn equinox is one of the four most unique days on the seasonal calendar!
When is the autumn equinox?
The 2025 autumn equinox will take place on Monday, September 22nd. If you live in a country in the northern hemisphere (such as the United States, Canada, any European country, and most Asian countries) the autumn equinox falls on September 22nd or 23rd every year, which is why it’s often called the September equinox.
However, if you live in a country in the southern hemisphere (like Australia, Brazil, or Kenya), the sun is tilted in the opposite direction in September, making the fall equinox closer to March 19th, 20th, or 21st (known as the March equinox).
Here are future fall equinox dates for both hemispheres.
| Year | Northern Hemisphere | Southern Hemisphere |
| 2025 | Monday, September 22 | Thursday, March 20 |
| 2026 | Tuesday, September 22 | Friday, March 20 |
| 2027 | Thursday, September 23 | Saturday, March 20 |
| 2028 | Friday, September 22 | Sunday, March 19 |
| 2029 | Saturday, September 22 | Tuesday, March 20 |
| 2030 | Sunday, September 22 | Thursday, March 21 |
One of the most interesting things about the spring and autumn equinox events is that they’re on exactly the same day in different parts of the world. For instance, when the fall equinox falls on September 22nd in the United States, it’s the same day as the spring equinox in Australia—and vice versa.
How 13 different cultures celebrate the autumn equinox
From Thanksgiving celebrations to some of the oldest manmade structures on Earth, the autumn equinox has inspired many cultures to celebrate and honor the changing of mid-year seasons. We’ve compiled a list of how different cultures celebrate the autumn equinox, including autumn equinox rituals of ancient civilizations and the ways modern cultures still mark this unique day on the calendar.
1. Britain: Remembering Celtic harvest celebrations
Home to ancient Pagan fall traditions from Celtic and Druid cultures, Britain combines traditions and modern practices to pay homage to the autumn equinox, known as Mabon in Welsh.
Many visitors flock to Wiltshire in England to witness the sunrise over Stonehenge on Mabon (fall equinox) every year, acknowledging that the Earth is in balance on this important day. In Cornwall, farmers and community members enjoy Guldize (the feast of ricks, or grain) to signify the end of a successful harvest season.
2. China: Paying tribute to the moon goddess
Zhongqiu Jie (Mid-Autumn Festival) takes place in the eighth month of the lunar calendar during autumn. It pays tribute to Chang’e, the Chinese moon goddess, with moon cakes and lighted festival lanterns.
The festival of Zhongqiu Jie is one of the most important Chinese festivals, since it brings old and new traditions together at a pivotal time of the year. While ancient celebrants worshipped the moon and Chang’e to ensure a good harvest, modern celebrations include family reunions and delicious autumn foods.
3. Egypt: Aligning great structures to the autumn equinox
The Great Pyramids of Giza have been an architectural and anthropological mystery for millennia. But scholars have speculated that the ancient Egyptians based the alignment of the Great Pyramids on the fall equinox. How so? Because the positional accuracy of the pyramids to north, south, east, and west on the day of the fall equinox is nearly perfect!
Not only do the Great Pyramids align to the sun’s position at the fall equinox, the Sphinx does, too. For the most memorable experience, travel to the ancient Egyptian site at sunset on the autumnal equinox to see the sun settle onto the Sphinx’s shoulder for an eye-catching effect.
4. Germany: Having a harvest parade at Erntedankfest
Two notable German holidays fall in the autumn season. The German celebration of giving thanks, known as Erntedankfest (or Winzerfest if you’re in German wine country) features a festive harvest parade and freshly picked vegetables for a feast at the end of the day.
Oktoberfest is another autumn-harvest holiday that brings Germans together to enjoy the new season. This two-week-long beer festival takes place on the Theresienwiese in Munich and gives locals and tourists a chance to sample top beers from all over the country.
5. Hungary: Enjoying the wine harvest and folk traditions
In Budapest, Hungary, the fall equinox points to one thing: Szüreti felvonulás (the Harvest Procession)! This custom goes back to Old Hungary, where citizens celebrated the grape and wheat harvests and gave thanks for a fruitful harvest.
Part of the notable Budapest Wine Festival, the parade features locals in Hungarian folkwear representing the grape-growing regions of Hungary. Many other locations in Hungary also host their own harvest festivals, many of which include the traditional grape stomp of old-time winemakers!
6. Iceland: Showing gratitude to Nordic gods of agriculture
Iceland and other Nordic countries celebrate Haustblót (Winter Finding) on the autumn equinox. In ancient times, celebrants prepared for the upcoming winter in an already-cold land by giving thanks for the fall harvest, praying to the Norse gods Freyr, Freyja, and Skaði, and making an animal sacrifice for a kinder winter.
While modern celebrations of Haustblót may not include animal sacrifices, it does involve delicious harvest foods during an autumn feast. You can also take this time to remember ancestors and those who have passed away in the previous year.
7. India: Celebrating nine days of music, fasting, and dance
The celebration of Sharada Navaratri is a Hindu celebration of the goddess Durga during the fall season. This nine-day festival features religious rituals (such as Hindu scripture readings and fasting), harvest feasts, and folk music performances.
Sharada Navaratri lasts for nine days to commemorate the battle between Durga and Mahishasura, a buffalo demon. The destruction of Mahishasura is known as the destruction of negativity in Hindu culture, inspiring a positive attitude at the changing of the summer and fall seasons.
8. Ireland: Counting your blessings at the equinox
Cónocht an Fhómhair, or autumn equinox in Gaelic, is an Irish tradition that dates back over 5,000 years. Ancient Celts use the changing of the seasons to reflect on their blessings and feast with their gains from the harvest, preparing for a harsh winter ahead.
If you visit Ireland during the fall equinox, be sure to stop by the ancient Loughcrew Cairns to see the sun light up the backstone in a spectacular event known as the Loughcrew Equinox. And while you’re there, wish everyone Beannachtaí Cónocht an Fhomhair (equinox blessings)!
9. Italy: Enjoying the best olive oil during harvest time
Between grape harvests, a gorgeous autumn climate, and warm bread made from fresh grains, Italy is a great place to be during the autumn equinox. You’ll find a number of Italian festivals to explore during this time of year—when you’re not walking trails lined with red-and-orange foliage.
One of the most enjoyable fall festivals in Italy is Olivagando, an event in Umbria that samples this year’s olive oil harvest in both traditional and creative culinary recipes. Try some gelato all’olio d’oliva (olive oil ice cream) if you tire of dipping your bread in oil (though we’re not sure you could tire of that!).
10. Japan: Connecting with those who have gone before
In Japan, the fall equinox brings a variety of observances, traditions, and unforgettable Japanese festivals. The festival of Tsukimi honors the full harvest moon on the lunar calendar, while the Takayama Autumn Festival features a parade with floats and lion dances.
For a more solemn autumn experience, the Buddhist O-higan tradition takes time to honor ancestors and those who have passed away. According to ancient beliefs, the even split between day and night at the autumn equinox means that the barrier between the physical and spiritual world is thinner. Believers also consider that the sunset represents a perfect balance between the living and the afterlife.
11. Israel: Taking the Four Kinds during Sukkot
After the Jewish fast of Yom Kippur comes Sukkot, a weeklong celebration of the harvest that usually falls during the autumn equinox. Sukkot is called both the Chag HaAsif (Festival of Ingathering, or Festival of Harvest) and the Chag HaSukkot (Festival of Booths). Participants make shelters to honor and remember the temporary dwellings used during the Israelite’s 40-year trek through the desert after escaping enslavement in Egypt.
During Sukkot, Jewish people eat all their meals in these booths (called sukkah). They also participate in the honoring of the Four Kinds, which includes four types of vegetation symbolic to the Jewish faith.
12. Mexico: Watching the Feathered Serpent climb a pyramid
The autumn equinox may send distinctive sunlight everywhere in the world but perhaps nowhere so distinctive as fall equinox at Chichen Itza in Mexico. The Temple of Kukulcán, also known as El Castillo, is a pyramid positioned to catch the equinox sun in a way to resemble a snake climbing the steps, specifically, the Feathered Serpent known as the Mayan god Kukulkan.
Though the site is more popular for visitors during the spring equinox, the display is just as extraordinary during autumn (and less busy). It represents the Mayan calendar and precise concept of time, making this ancient tribute to astronomical phenomena truly a sight to see!
13. Cherokee Nation: Sharing a harvest feast on the new moon
You may be familiar with the story and traditions of the American Thanksgiving feast, and you may already know that it comes from the harvest festivals of the Native American tribes in the region. But there are many more Indigenous autumn traditions to celebrate the fall equinox, including the Cherokee ceremony of Nuwatiegawa or the Great New Moon Ceremony.
This observance of the new moon closest to the autumn equinox marks the Cherokee New Year. It includes a harvest feast, ceremonial dances, and religious rituals meant to prepare tribe members for the coming year.
Celebrate new seasons with fall traditions
This year, pay special attention to the autumn equinox and look for those ancient and modern ways to celebrate this once-a-year event. And if you’re looking for more autumn equinox rituals, check out popular and little-known autumn superstitions—including where the idea of jack-o’-lanterns came from before landing on your porch!
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