The Kalends of September

Modern Date : September 1st

The Kalends of September

This is one of the dies fasti, on which legal actions are permitted.

September is the 'magical' seventh month (after March).

This day was the Festival of Thargelia in Greece. Olympic-style games were celebrated.

The constellation Capricorn, a sign of the ancient zodiac identified with the Roman Pan, reaches its culmination, or highest point in the sky, tonight. To the ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians, this signaled the start of the rainy season.

In Egypt, this day began the year of Indiction, or the collection of foodstuffs by the government.

Some Byzantine Christians reckoned the world was created on this day in 5509 BC.

The Temple of Jupiter Tonans, at the entrance to the Area Capitolina, was dedicated this day in 22 BCE. It commemorated the miraculous escape of Augustus from a bolt of lightning while on the Cantabrian expedition in 26-25 BCE.

September acquired its name as the seventh month of the old Roman calendar. Pomona, patroness of fruit and fruit-trees, was tutelary goddess of this month in which autumn begins.

September was Meán Fómhair in Ireland or an t-Sultainn, the fat time. All these names refer to the ripening harvest. The September moon is gealach an abachaidh, moon of ripening. Haligmonath, "holy month," was the month of September among the Anglo-Saxons. The Franks called this month Witumanoth, "wood month," for this when the majority of wood was gathered for the coming cold months. September is Shedding among the Asatru.

The first Full Moon is called the Fruit or Grain Moon, a name it shares with August. It shares the name Harvest Moon with October and Sturgeon Moon with August. It has been called the Singing, Wine Moon, and the Moon When Deer Paw the Earth.

Libra takes over from Virgo around September 23rd. Those born this month have the aster for their birth flower. The stone for Virgo and those born in September is the sapphire. Chrysolite and sardonyx are also listed as stones for those born in Septmeber. Libra’s birthstone is opal or tourmaline, and Libra is also linked to aquamarine, emerald, kunzite, moonstone, opal, peridot, and pink tourmaline. Amazonite, amber, carnelian, chrysocolla, citrine, and sapphire are other stones associated with Virgo

Lunar Holy Days for the month of September:

Chung-Ch'iu
The Chinese Moon festival, Chung-Ch'iu, falls on the fifteenth day of the eighth moon of the Chinese lunar calendar. The climax of the growing season, it is a time to give thanks for a bountiful harvest. Rites are carried out by the women of each family in their courtyards. A picture or a figurine of the Moon Hare (who is supposed to inhabit the moon is placed on a special altar. When moonlight fills the courtyard, the ceremony begins. Offerings are set on the altar, five platters of different fruit and thirteen mooncakes, small spicy circular cakes. In northern China, mooncakes have two fillings—a sugar paste or a date paste. In southern China, the fillings are more varied—they include ham, preserved apricots, sweet bean puree, walnuts, and watermelon seeds. Yellow beans may also be offered. Incense is lit and women approach the altar one by one. The picture of the hare is then burned to release its soul.

Choyo-no-Sekku
During China's Choyo-no-Sekku or the Kiku no Sekku, Chrysanthemum Day, chrysanthemum wine is drunk on the ninth day of the ninth moon to ensure long life. At the Chrysanthemum Doll Fete, lifelike clay figures are dressed in robes made of fresh chrysanthemums and arranged as parts of legendary and historical scenes. The celebration is also held to honor the poet T'ao Yuan-Ming who flavored the flower which only blooms in the autumn. After his death, he became the god of the flower.

The Horndance of Cernunnos
In Staffordshire England, the Horndance begins at dawn on the first Monday after Wake Sunday (the first Sunday after September 4th). At one time, it was held two weeks before the autumnal equinox. Costumed dancers gather and wander through the village and the country-side, performing their dance periodically. The final dance is held in the center of the village before the antlers are returned to the church for storage. The Dancers are all male. They include a fool, a Robin Hood on a hobbyhorse, a Maid Marion, a bowman, two musicians, and six deer wearing wooden replicas of reindeer antlers. It has been considered a tradition honoring the Horned God, commonly known as Cernunnos.


On this day...

Radha
In India on this day, Radha, an avatar of Lakshmi, and Krishna are honored.

From the web...

The relationship of Radha and Krishna is the embodiment of love, passion and devotion. Radha's passion for Krishna symbolizes the soul's intense longing and willingness for the ultimate unification with God. Shri Krishna is the soul of Radha and Radha is definitely the soul of Shri Krishna. She is the undivided form of Shri Krishna. She will remain a mystery unless one can know her inexpressible divine elements. She is worshipper as well as his deity to be worshipped. She being a beloved of Shri Krishna is known as "Radhika".

The whole universe material and spiritual is the creation of Shri Radha - Krishna. Shri Radha is the presiding Goddess of Shri Krishna. The Paramatma - supreme Lord - is subservient to her. In her absence Shri Krishna does not exist. (This is beautiful in that man is not "one", without woman.)


Miraj Kandili
In the Islamic calendar, this day is Miraj Kandili, also known as Laylat al-Mi'raj, commemorating the prophet Muhammad's miraculous night journey to heaven on the winged horse Buraq.


Greek New Year
From early on (OCY suggests 462), this was the first date of both the calendar year and the religious year in Greece. It is still considered the start of the year in the Greek Orthodox calendar.

Since this is the beginning of the autumn sowing season, Greek farmers take seeds to church to be blessed (much like farmers in France on February 3rd). In Greece, people also make first-of-the-year wreaths with fruits and herbs which symbolize abundance. On the island of Kos, people use pomegranates, grapes, quinces, garlic bulbs and plane-tree leaves; on Rhodes, they work with walnuts, onions, garlic, grapes, tufts of cotton and bags full of grain. Just before dawn on September 1st, the children take the old wreaths down to the sea and throw them in; the new ones are dipped in the ocean water for good luck. Only after the new wreaths are hung up can the sowing begin.

Another new year tradition involves collecting 40 pebbles from the beach and water from the tops of 40 waves in a jar which is taken home and kept as a protection charm.

This is an ominous day as well as a beginning, for this is the day the Angel of Death writes down the names of all those who will die in the coming year, expressing the quality of judgement also found in the Jewish New Year holiday of Rosh Hashana, which falls on the new moon of September. This suggests the two holidays derive from the same source as the first of September would have been the new moon (first day) of the lunar month.


Opening of Oyster Season
Since this is the first of the eight months containing an R which are considered the safe months for eating oysters, this might be considered the beginning of oyster season, although the traditional date for Oyster Day (at least in England) is August 5th.


St Partridge

Well, this is friendship!
What on earth brings you here, old fellow?
Why aren't you in the stubble celebrating St Partridge?

From "Robert Elsmere" by Mrs Humphry Ward, 1888

St Partridge is another one of those mythical saints, like St Distaff, whose names mark a holiday, in this case, the opening of partridge hunting season in England, which continues until February 1st. The quotation above implies that partridge season begins after the harvest is in and the hunters can cross the fields without damaging the grain.