~ The season of fall is undeniably in the air. L’Automne est dans l’air. 秋は空気中にあります. Der Herbst ist in der Luft. سقوط في الهواء. Осень в воздухе. Val in die lug . পতন বাতাসে . Ko e Hingá i roto i te rangi. Mùa thu là trong không khí. El Otoño está en el aire. ~
Alright, I may or may not have translated those correctly, but the message is clear- The season of fall is undeniably in the air. The colours have changed from the cool blues and greens of summer to the warm hues of amber and maroon of autumn. As well, the aromas of the season are officially present; the Starbucks lattés are calling out more than ever, and we can finally pull out those oversized sweaters and cute boots. Well in Canada, that is. The season of fall is interpreted in surprisingly different ways all around the world, and is each unique to a respective geographic nation. Here in Canada, we welcome autumn with Thanksgiving and Halloween (which I am very excited for). Since fall is (arguably) the best season where I live, I decided to look in to what festivities this season brings to all corners of the planet…
Mid-Autumn/Moon Festival (China)
In the ancient times of China, Emperors and Nobility worshipped the moon at Mid-Autumn, because they believed that this practice would bring them good fortune for the upcoming harvest. They did this by placing large tables of food, including apples, plums, grapes, mooncakes and watermelons in their yards under the moon. This festival occurred, and still occurrs, every 15th day of the 8th month, according to the Chinese Lunar Calendar. Nowadays, the Mid-Autumn festival is the second largest celebration in China, only following the Spring festival. As you’ve seen in the above photo, the Chinese release lanterns, hold parades, and gather with their friends and family. In Canada, many Chinese celebrate this festival by eating the food of the moon (moon cakes).
Dia de Los Muertos
This holiday is celebrated in both Mexico and Ecuador. This holiday (Dia de Los Muertos is the name) honours both the past and the present. The people gather to celebrate the hard work their ancestors put in for their better state of the present. This holiday is actually a result of the conflicts between the Aztec peoples and Europeans (Middle school Social Studies anyone?). Originally, the Aztec people held this festival under the guidance of their goddess Mictecacihuatl, and they celebrated their ancestors, including deceased warriors and leaders. When the Spanish met the Aztecs, they brought with them their tradition of All Soul’s day, which was a religious tradition meant for worshipping the dead. As a result of the Spanish and Aztec people meeting, Dia de Los Muertos emerged as the ultimate blending festival of the two. In Mexico, this is a two day festival, taking place at the beginning of November. Civilians honour the dead by visiting their graves and setting up large feasts.
Bonfire night (Britain)
Taking place on November 5th, this British Festival celebrates the defeat of Guy Fawkes. In 1605, a group of men delegated Sir Fawkes to blow up the British Parliamentary building and kill king James and his fellow leaders by placing gunpowder in the basement. Fortunately the night before, Guy Fawkes was discovered and arrested. The trail of gunpowder was left at his feet untouched. Since then, King James declared November 5th the official Bonfire night to celebrate his survival of the failed assassination. This celebration has managed to last a long while in Britain, and nowadays people of all ages gather outside on this night to host bonfires and watch fireworks. Sounds like a fun holiday!
Diwali/Festival of Lights (India)
During this multi-day festival, the whole country of India is illuminated and glowing, and the people are usually in an extra good mood. The story of this festival traces back to Ancient India, when, like many others, it was an important Harvest Festival. There are actually multiple different forms of how Diwali came to be, but all of the tales commemorate the returning of Lords. What’s special about this festival is that each day is celebrated differently. The very first day, Naraka Chaturdasi, marks the vanquishing of the demon Naraka by Lord Krishna and his wife Satyabhama. On day two, Amavasya, the Lord Vishnu vanished the Tyrant Bali. However, on the third day of the festival, Kartika Shudda Padyami, Bali steps out of his prison and rules the earth according to what Lord Vishnu told him to do. On the fourth day, Yama Dvitiya, it is mainly a day of celebration, in which sisters invite their brothers to their houses. This festival usually falls between the middle of October and the middle of November, this year being from October 21-25. It turns out that there is a story behind every ritual of Diwali, which includes feasting, firecrackers, lighting candles, and gambling. The reason behind the lights and firecrackers is that the sounds and sights are a sign of the happiness of people living on earth making the gods know of their joy.
Water Festival (Cambodia)
This festival’s purpose is to celebrate the change in direction of the flow between the Mekong and Tonle Rivers. During the rainy season, the Tonle river becomes so full that it switches the direction of flow. The Water festival occurrs when the water goes back to it’s normal direction, which means that it is the end of the rainy season. The Cambodians use this time to thank the rivers for fertile land and an abundance of fish. In these times, the festival is filled with colourful and competetive boat races and concerts. The boat races were originally held by kings, who would test warriors by viewing their fighting skills on the river. This celebration is experienced hugely by everyone in Cambodia, and occurs over a course of 3 days (this year beginning on November 24). The beautiful reflections of the fireworks in the water are a sight that is not to be missed!
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Although we’ve reached the end of this post, I’m sure that list doesn’t cover every single festival in the world that takes place in Autumn. Comment down below if you know of any others! I’m always interested to hear what you have to say.
Among this international talk, let’s not forget about our good old Canadian traditions, Thanksgiving and Halloween. Excited yet?
