Here in the northern hemisphere, fall's arrived, and winter's coming on. Do you do anything special to mark the change of seasons?

I buy egg nog. Got some today.

I replaced the petunias in front of the building with mums.

I commute by bicycle. I put my flashing tail light in my bag this morning, in case I work late and ride home in the dark. That isn’t a concern in the summer.

I’d like to put some pumpkins out, but my squirrel friends figured out how to steal the seeds.

Well, I live in Southern CA. The seasons don’t change. It’s still hot.

“Autumn” is marked by a change of fish species and a very pleasant and interesting invasion of thousands of transcontinental bird species stop by for some rest and food while migrating from the northern hemisphere to the south. The humidity drops, the wind freshens from the east and the rain stops. It is the start of the sailing season.

Autumn usually begins in November here and lasts until mid April. Then comes the still, sultry days of summer ending with the interminable days of rain from August to November.

The migrating birds slowly disappear in late December. They reappear in early May heading north, then disappear again by June when the warm water fish show up. Then we don’t see the birds again until the following November on their way south.

That’s how you mark the seasons 13° north of the Equator.

You mean “northern hemisphere”? ‘Cause it’s happening in the eastern too!

Although I live in California and we are still seeing temperatures in the 80s, it’s different from the summer. The angle of the sun is lower; the heat feels less hot and it cools off more quickly. I don’t change my routines much other than that I cleaned the heater, dusted it out, knowing that I will need in a month or so (after not using it since April). And as much as I love summer, I always look forward to the holiday season. :) Even without snow, it’s a cozy time of year. By January, I’m over it and ready for summer again though. Lol.

Light up the candles around my decapitated-sean-bean-head shrine.

At 56 degrees north there is a dramatic decrease in daylight which you can’t help but notice. “the nights are fair drawing in” is an expression you will hear at this time of year but the light seems softer and brings out the colour of the dying leaves beautifully. I don’t do anything special apart from bring out my winter duvet.

I take out some heavier blankets.

I’m in Florida. We don’t have “fall”.

I’m looking forward to the end of hurricane season, and the movement into the “dry” season.

Basically we tell seasons around here by which flavor of the month is in the local coffee shops. It makes me sad, still, because when I lived in a temperate zone, autumn was my favourite season – I like the chilly air and the changing leaves and wearing scarves and sweaters.

I sniff the lovely, slightly crisp fall air. I revel in being covered with a blanket again. I find myself buying ingredients for soups and making chili. I switch, happily, from iced tea to hot tea.

I have an autumn ritual I started many years ago. It began as a stress reducer, as prescribed by my doc, but I liked it. The ritual has undergone changes as my health has deteriorated the past few years.
The first CRISP day I wear my favorite sweater, sit outside with a cup of hot tea, or sometimes cocoa, and just relax while I sip my beverage. After, I take a leisurely walk.
Nowadays, I leave the front door open and have my beverage indoors.

I moved to the PNW from Southern California a few years ago, and autumn is still a novelty to me. I swap out my sandals for boots and oxfords, lightweight summer wear for sweaters, coats, and scarves. We cook and bake with the vegetables and fruits in season—lots of apple, pumpkin, squash, berries, plums… We celebrated mabon for the first time with a big feast, and discussed the changes we look forward to on the horizon and wish to celebrate.

I LOVE autumn. I’m dreading winter—especially dealing with the ice.

The seasons don’t change too much where I live, either, but we still have our solstices and our equinoxes. A lot of so-called fall color bursts out around here just the same, not in the trees and fields but in store displays and schools and other relatively public settings.

Sentimentally, I get into it, too, having grown up in the Northeast, where the color is real. Fall and winter trigger a lot of nostalgia and homesickness for me, and I fend them off by honoring the seasonal traditions.

I arrange autumn-themed decorations around the house, from orange, red, and yellow placemats to a pumpkin on the porch. For me it’s not about Halloween but about the bright lights and colors that challenge the darkening time of year.

In my part of Texas, we essentially have two seasons. Long hot rainless summer, short, cold (at times) winter. I have seen temps in the 80s on Christmas Day.

I have heard rumors of something called spring and fall.

Here in my neck of the woods (southern NY near CT), it’s still hot. Yesterday was about 80. I went to the movies to get out of the heat but outside, in the shade, it was ok. People are talking about how they still have the AC on.

In my area, a lot of farms have pumpkin picking and harvest festivals and stuff. This is a big weekend for people to come up from the city and visit the farms for a day in the country. I know what local roads to avoid, because they get choked with traffic.

For me, somewhat of a movie buff, autumn is the time when the good movies come out. I just saw “Victoria and Abdul” yesterday. It was really good, very entertaining, beautiful sets, scenery and costumes. It gave me a new respect for Queen Victoria. There’s also one coming up about the real life A.A. Milne and how he came up with Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh.