September

ninth month in the Julian and Gregorian calendars
<< September >>
Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
 

September (Sep.) is the ninth month of the year in the Gregorian calendar, coming between August and October. It has 30 days. Its name comes from the Latin word sept for "seven" (it was the seventh month of the year, before January and February were added to the beginning of the year.)

September always begins on the same day of the week as December, but never ends on the same day of the week as any other month.

The Month

change
 
A Works Progress Administration Poster, from 1940, for September

In the old Roman calendar, September was the seventh month, which is where it got its name ("Septem" means "seventh"). The ninth month at the time was November ("Novem" means "ninth"). With Julius Caesar's calendar reform, September became the ninth month, with 30 days. September comes after August and before October.

September begins on the same day of the week as December every year, as each other's first days are 13 weeks (91 days) apart. No other month of any year ends on the same day of the week as September: this month and May are the only two months with this property.

In common years, September starts on the same day of the week as April and July of the previous year, and in leap years, October of the previous year. In common years, September finishes on the same day of the week as April and December of the previous year, and in leap years, July of the previous year. In leap years and years immediately after that, September starts on the same day of the week as January of the previous year.

In years immediately before common years, September starts on the same day of the week as June of the following year, and in years immediately before leap years, March and November of the following year. In years immediately before common years, September finishes on the same day of the week as March and June of the following year, and in years immediately before leap years, August and November of the following year.

September is one of two months to have an equinox (the other is March, its seasonal equivalent in both hemispheres), where both day and night are roughly of equal length, occurring either on the 22nd or 23rd, halfway between the June and December solstices. In the Northern Hemisphere, Autumn (Fall) begins in this month, while in the Southern Hemisphere, this is the beginning of Spring. For meteorologists, the people who study the weather, these seasons begin on September 1 in those hemispheres. In most Northern Hemisphere countries, school starts in this month, following the summer holidays.

In Ancient Greece, September was called Boedromion. The Anglo-Saxons called it Gerstmonath, meaning "Barley month", referring to the harvest. In other countries, it is referred to as Autumn Month, such as in Finland (Syyskuu) and German-speaking parts of Switzerland (Herbstmonat).

Ethiopian New Year occurs in September. Jewish New Year also often occurs in this month.

Events and Occurrences

change

Fixed Events

change
 
An army parade marking Brazil's independence day on September 7.
 
Flower offerings on Catalonia's National Day, September 11.
 
In the Northern Hemisphere, the leaves on trees start to change color around the time of the September 22/23 equinox.
 
Autumn (Fall) begins in the Northern Hemisphere in September, mostly on September 23.

Moveable and Monthlong Events

change
 
Beer glasses at the Munich Oktoberfest, held in late September and early October

Selection of Historical Events

change
 
Japanese foreign minister Mamoru Shigemitsu signing the surrender on the USS Missouri on September 2, 1945
 
Painting of the Brazilian Declaration of Independence, which occurred on September 7, 1822.
 
Present-day flag of California, which became a US State on September 9, 1850.
 
Early-morning image of the dust storm affecting Sydney, Australia on September 23, 2009
 
Blue Lamp symbolising the London Metropolitan Police Force, which was founded on September 29, 1829.

Symbols and Trivia

change
 
The Sapphire is the birth stone of September.
Months of the Year

January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December