We call September ‘Birthday Month’ in our household since half of our family have their big days during this month. Our Septembers tend to be fun, busy, expensive, and filled with birthday dinners and parties.
Even though our free time this month is dominated by birthdays, there are a few other significant dates and anniversaries in September, the saddest of course being yesterday on 9/11, which is increasingly referred to as Patriot’s Day.
On the brighter side, we have all recently enjoyed the long Labor Day weekend and today, September 12th is ‘National Hug and High Five Day’. Here in Coastal Georgia, I am sure many people are looking forward to ‘National Peanut Day’ tomorrow, as well as ‘National Hunting and Fishing Day’ on September 28th. I personally will not be celebrating ‘National Talk Like a Pirate Day’ on September 19th as some people have enough trouble understanding my British accent without me saying things like “ahoy my hearties” and “shiver me timbers”. Arrrrrrrrgh!
We will also officially enter fall on September 22, with the autumnal equinox: one of only two moments in the year when the sun is exactly above the equator and day and night are of equal length. I still find it hard to think that we are experiencing fall when we have temperatures in the 80s but I am not complaining as I love the warmer weather. We are also in the middle of peak hurricane season, so fingers crossed we don’t have more tropical storms and flooding or worse.
A ’Harvest Moon’ usually happens in September as well. This term, first documented in England in the early 1700s, describes the full moon that occurs closest to the autumnal equinox. The name comes from farmers, who could work well into the night to bring in the harvested crops due to the extra light the moon provides.
Did you know that the word September comes from the Latin word septem, meaning “seven,” because it was the seventh month of the early Roman calendar? This all changed with the introduction of the Julian calendar in 46BC, and September became the ninth month because January and February were added at the beginning of the year.
However, the name September stuck.
The birthstone for September is sapphire, which is traditionally a deep blue color. Sapphire derives from the Latin word “saphirus”, which means blue.
Sapphires are part of the corundum mineral family, which consists primarily of aluminium oxide with trace amounts of other elements, particularly iron and titanium. Sapphire stones are formed deep within the Earth when aluminium and oxygen atoms combine under high heat and pressure. Sapphires can also be found in pink, yellow, green, purple and colorless. They are also occasionally deep red, which is when they become rubies. Some say that sapphires and rubies are completely different stones, but most mineralogists agree that they are scientifically the same mineral.
Sapphire gemstones were used by the Romans and Persians from as far back as 800 BC and possibly earlier. They were also quite popular in the Middle Ages. The oldest sapphire deposit is in Sri Lanka, which has some of the finest quality gemstones in the world.
Sapphire has traditionally symbolized sincerity, truth, faithfulness and nobility, and at different times throughout history were worn extensively by royalty and the clergy. The elite of ancient Greece and Rome believed that blue sapphires protected their owners from harm and envy. Clerics of the Middle Ages wore sapphires because they symbolized Heaven, and the Ancient Persians believed the earth rested on a giant sapphire, which made the sky blue. The September birthstone was reputed to have healing powers and be an antidote to poison. Medieval Europeans believed that sapphire cured plague, boils and diseases of the eye.
September has two birth flowers.
The Aster, a perennial daisy-like flower, grows in late summer and into fall.
While there are over 100 varieties, Aster flowers are generally star-shaped and usually purple, blue or white. Throughout history, the Aster has symbolized faith, love, achievement, and wisdom.
September’s other birth flower, the Morning Glory, is a climbing vine flower with heart-shaped leaves and trumpet- shaped petals of purple, blue and red. These symbolize affection, intimate love and patience. There is more information at www.britannica.com.
I will leave you with a quote from 19th century American writer and poet, Helen Hunt Jackson: “By all these lovely tokens, September days are here.
With summer’s best of weather and autumn’s best of cheer.”
God bless America and enjoy your September!
Lesley grew up in London, England and made Georgia her home in 2009.
She can be contacted at lesley@francis. com or via her full-service marketing agency at www.lesleyfrancispr.com