Meán Fómhair – Middle of Harvest
In Irish, September is Meán Fómhair — “middle of harvest”, the season of gathering, balance, and change. The Autumn Equinox (Cónocht an Fhómhair) marks the moment of equal light and dark, a powerful cultural and spiritual marker in Ireland.
Check this short progress video:
Folklore + Traditions:
The Púca, a trickster spirit, was said to claim a “púca’s share” of the crops. After September 29th, blackberries were left untouched, legend says the púca spat on them!
The Celts honoured the bramble (blackberry bush) as September’s sacred plant, bursting with fruit at the equinox.
Michaelmas, the “goose harvest” (Fómhar na nGéanna), saw geese fattened on stubble fields before the feast. Warm weather at this time was even called “fómhar beag na ngéanna” — the “little autumn of the geese.”
The name September itself comes from the Latin septem, meaning “seven.” On the ancient Roman calendar, it was originally the seventh month of the year, before the later shift to twelve.
