The Surprising History of September

September, which kicks off with a three-day weekend honoring Labor Day, marks the start of a new school year, the end of summer and the beginning of fall. The month is also tied to the harvest season and a slew of interesting but forgotten historical events. And while Rosh Hashanah is well known, a holiday that signals a curse on blackberries might not be on your radar. Read on to learn more about September. 

September's name comes from septem, the Latin word for seven. Although it’s the ninth month of the Gregorian calendar, it was originally the seventh month under the Roman calendar, which began with March.

Because September is harvest season, it’s no stretch that its full moon, called the corn moon, was named by Native Americans after the late-summer reaping of the crop, notes the Old Farmer’s Almanac. When September’s full moon falls closest to the fall equinox, it is also called the harvest moon.

The fall equinox, which marks the start of autumn, occurs around September 22, when day and night hours are equal worldwide. It’s one of two days (the spring equinox being the other) when the sun is directly above the equator. 

September has seen its share of major historic world events, including the 1666 Great Fire of London, the 1939 start of World War II, the 1945 declaration of victory over Japan, and the 2001 September 11 terror attacks. But here are a few lesser-known events:

The oft-forgotten medieval Christian holiday of Michaelmas celebrates the archangel St. Michael, a leader of heavenly armies and the protector against winter darkness. Held on September 29, the feast day marks the beginning of fall as the harvest season ends, according to the National Trust for Scotland. Medieval English traditions included giving daisies as presents, stealing your neighbor’s horse (just for a night) and eating a fattened goose to ensure prosperity through the winter season.  

Every year, on the fourth Monday of September in Kyoto, Japan, the Kashu Matsuri, or Comb Festival, celebrates the history, artistry and cultural heritage of Japanese hair ornaments. Started in 1961 by the Kyoto Beauty Culture Club, the festival begins with the “Black Hair Dance,” which expresses gratitude for used combs and hairpins as they are placed in a ceremonial burial mound. The main event follows, featuring a procession of models showcasing different historical eras of traditional Japanese hair adornment, from ancient to modern times.

September is the month to celebrate Johnny Appleseed Day (September 26), paying homage to John Chapman, the legendary frontiersman renowned for planting orchards all over the Midwest. Pepper your speech with plenty of “aarrgghh thar mateys” on on September 19, a.k.a. International Talk Like a Pirate Day, and pick your side in the debate between Team Kurt Vonnegut and Team Abraham Lincoln over the use of the semicolon on September 24 for National Punctuation Day.

Love blackberries in late summer? Best get them in before Michaelmas on September 29. Folklore says that on this day, a celestial battle between the archangel Michael and Lucifer resulted in the devil falling to hell, landing in a thorny blackberry bush—and cursing the fruit by spitting on it. The act is said to have tainted blackberries after September 29, leading some to call it National Poisoned Blackberry Day.