In the ancient calendars (Mesopotamian, Celtic, Mayan) of the Northern Hemisphere, the year is always divided into two parts. The year is divided between the season of light and the season of shadow. This division occurs twice a year, when the alignment of the sun and the Earth creates an equivalence between day and night. Twice a year, there is an equinox.
September 23 is the fall equinox—the first day of fall in the Northern Hemisphere.
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THE FALL EQUINOX
The word “equinox” comes from the Latinaequus (equal) andnox(night). It is a day and a night that each last 12 hours. The hours of daylight and the hours of darkness are equal.
As seen from Earth, this is a moment when the Sun is perfectly aligned with the Earth. The Earth’s axis of rotation is aligned with the Sun without tilting to either side of the equator.
During the equinox, the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere receive the same amount of light—and the same amount of shadow.
There are two equinoxes each year, in the fall and in the spring. In 2026 (in the Northern Hemisphere), the fall equinox is on September 23, and the spring equinox is on March 20.
In the Southern Hemisphere, the dates of the equinoxes are the same (obviously) but mark the beginning of spring on September 23 and the beginning of fall on March 20.
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THE RETURN OF THE DARK DAYS
On September 23, 2026, the sun will set in Montreal at 6:51 p.m. The last sunset after 7:00 p.m. of the year will be on Saturday, September 18, 2026, at 7:01 p.m.
Without despairing over the days that will grow shorter and shorter, we know that between the equinox and the winter solstice (the longest night of the year) on December 21, 2026, the sun will set earlier and earlier.
After the solstice, the days will get longer—but for now, let’s enjoy the darker season.
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CELEBRATING THE FALL EQUINOX
All over the world and across all cultures, people celebrate the return of the darker days with celebrations and festivals that express gratitude for the last harvests of summer (apples, squash, corn).
Even today, Wiccans celebrate Mabon, thousands of people gather at Stonehenge at sunrise, and people gather in Yucatán to witness the visual effect of the “Descent of the Serpent” on the Mayan pyramid at Chichén Itzá.
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