No August is not the start of Autumn

01-08-2021 10:15AM #1

Today, August 1st, is not the start of Autumn. Summer is June, July & August. We are in the Northern hemisphere which has the same seasons throughout. There is no mysterious weather phenomenon enveloping Ireland that gives us different seasons to the rest of the hemisphere.

The "Irish summer" of May, June, July is complete and utter bullshit. Please stop it. And before anyone says it, no farmers do not set the seasons.

IRE60 · 01-08-2021 10:22AM

Jasus - keep the togs on! And punctuate that headline.

01-08-2021 10:24AM

Yeah the summer togs.

Yellow_Fern · 01-08-2021 10:26AM

August makes more sense as autumn

pcadhain · 01-08-2021 10:37AM

Do you propose we stop calling September "Meán Fomhair" (middle of Autumn) and October "Deireadh Fómhair" (end of Autumn)?

Irish calendar - Wikipedia

PopePalpatine · 01-08-2021 10:45AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117689997#Comment_117689997

You'd have a point if July was renamed to "September". Fecking Caesar ruined it for everyone.

01-08-2021 10:48AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117689997#Comment_117689997

Yes exactly, the same way we stopped calling November 1st the start of the new year.

I mean you can still use the Irish words and recognise its original meaning, but just stop taking it literally. Similar how we say Dia Dhuit and don't literally mean "God be with you", we just mean "hello".

EmmetSpiceland · 01-08-2021 11:45AM

August is, most definitely, Autumn.

MEGA BRO WOLF 5000 · 01-08-2021 11:48AM

Everyone knows the Irish summer started 10 days ago and ended last Friday. Everything before that was winter and everything after that is winter.

NIMAN · 01-08-2021 11:48AM

Our heating went on last night for the 1st time this 'summer', so it must be autumn!

mohawk · 01-08-2021 11:55AM

Agreed OP. June, July and August are our warmest months. The kids are on their summer holidays not their Autumn holidays. Usually still have plenty of growth and colour in the garden etc. Also November is not Winter, February is colder and more likely that we would get snow in February then in November.

Beechwoodspark · 01-08-2021 11:56AM

Would agree. August is definitely autumn - early autumn but autumn no less.

humberklog · 01-08-2021 12:01PM

Nah, seasons are feelings of the senses. They're in romance not science. Autumn starts mostly sometime towards the 2nd part of September and continues towards end of November. Winter closes in early December and lasts forever into somewhere at the start of March. Spring, brief and lovely, comes mid March into the 1st big bright warm sunny day on May. Summer is from May to September.

It not just temperature. It's colours and light and smells and people's reaction to it. It's not the dead hand of some monk's want or an ancient king's edict or a 19th century meteorologist's method of clarification.

If you set dates on seasons your heart is dead and lacks the ability to embrace natural emotions and you are forever frozen in a pedantic academic winter.

Bobblehats · 01-08-2021 12:02PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117690355#Comment_117690355

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Isambard · 01-08-2021 12:08PM

longest day c21 June, ie Midsummer. Autumn begins about a month and half later, ie at the end of the second half of summer, roughly 7th August

If you want to simplify it just based on the normal weather. Spring: March April May, Summer: June July August, Autumn: Sept Oct Nov and Winter:Dec Jan Feb.

May June July as Summer actually closer

01-08-2021 12:38PM

Point proven, Irish people do not understand the seasons. You don't get to just make it up yourself.

Allinall · 01-08-2021 12:42PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117690562#Comment_117690562

Which is exactly what you’re doing.

01-08-2021 12:52PM

I got an email from Lifestyle this morning listing runners that I need for Fall.🙄

I definitely think today is the first day of Autumn, it even feels like it, I too was tempted to put the heating on the last few nights but made a hot water bottle instead. ☺️

source · 01-08-2021 12:59PM

The Celtic seasons which we observe are different to the meteorological seasons, they're based around the summer and winter solstace. Longest day is mid summer, shortest is mid winter.

It's not arbitrary and has nothing to do with farmers, it's based on a natural phenomenon which makes more sense than the seasons observed by the rest of the northern hemisphere.

JupiterKid · 01-08-2021 01:02PM

August is the final month of summer. About the only things Autumnal about this month is the harvest at the end and perhaps the longer nights.

So IMO we have another month of Summer. As so many boardsies loathe sunny and warm weather, I have a feeling these same individuals actually want Summer to be over already.

Well...it’s not. 😎☀️☀️☀️

Shakey_jake · 01-08-2021 01:05PM

Only killjoys think august is the start of autumn, i actually consider sept a summer / autumn hybrid

cdeb · 01-08-2021 01:05PM

Yup - I think the idea of summer being May/Jun/Jul is also around longer than Jun/Jul/Aug too.

Our weather is too changeable to base seasons off. The grand stretch in the evening though - which is what we do base it off - is very reliable.

I always find it funny that some people get their knickers in such a twist over something uniquely Irish, when we should be celebrating it as part of our unique culture.

01-08-2021 01:05PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117689997#Comment_117689997

Well in English September means the 7th month, October means the 8th month, November the 9th, December the 10th.

Housefree · 01-08-2021 01:33PM

We have cambers to tell us, when the light shines in for the Autumn Equinox at Loughcrew Cairns. And the little people drink whiskey and play some music. The Autumn has begun

01-08-2021 08:01PM

Sure, didn't even have a proper spring this year and I have the (late planted due to frost) veg garden to prove it. To those saying summer is over... have you the cruelty of heart to stand among half-grown veggies and shout "You're getting two weeks summer this year and that IT! Now hurry up and feed me."

Didn't think so :D