When is the first day of fall in 2024? And other questions answered

Starbucks may roll out pumpkin spice lattes earlier each year, but the official start to fall is always the autumnal equinox.

In 2024, the autumnal equinox will happen on Sunday, Sept. 22, at 8:43 a.m. During an equinox, which happens twice a year, the Earth’s axis reaches a near-perfect balance with the sun, resulting in nearly equal daylight and nighttime worldwide, according to the National Weather Service.

These days, fall-themed drink menus flood the market well before the equinox. Wawa, Krispy Kreme, Rita’s Water Ice, and 7-Eleven, among others, start offering pumpkin spice and other fall flavors as early as Aug. 1.

If asking internet aficionados, fall officially begins with “Christian Girl Autumn,” an online meme turned yearly phenomenon popularized by influencer Caitlin Covington and often associated with women dressed in oversize scarves, large hats, and boots amid autumnal foliage. While the meme started as a joke, it has since become a staple of online fall culture. Covington herself is known to partake in the pumpkin spice latte tradition.

The autumnal equinox is the moment each year when Earth’s axis is neither tilted toward nor away from the sun. This results in nearly equal amounts of daylight and nighttime across the globe. Essentially, the sun is positioned directly above the equator, creating this balance.

The term equinox comes from the Latin words aequus (meaning “equal”) and nox (meaning “night”).

Throughout history, many cultures have celebrated the equinox. Archaeologists have even discovered prehistoric sites where humans tracked the equinoxes, including at Stonehenge in the United Kingdom and Newgrange in Ireland, according to history.com.

In Greek mythology, the fall equinox is when the goddess Persephone returns to the underworld each year and reunites with her husband, Hades, for the fall and winter months. When Persephone leaves the underworld in the spring, her mother, Demeter, brings growth back to plants and crops.

While equinoxes give equal day and night, solstices create the longest day of the year in summer and the longest night of the year in winter. The 2024 summer solstice occurred on June 20; the winter solstice will be on Saturday, Dec. 21, at 4:19 a.m.

The fall equinox, or the first day of fall, will be on Sunday, Sept. 22, at 8:43 a.m.

Daylight saving time ends on Nov. 3, 2024, at 2 a.m., when clocks “fall back” one hour, providing more sunlight in the mornings.

Clocks returning to standard time help keep the brain’s 24-hour internal clock, or “circadian rhythm,” in check. The morning light is what human bodies have naturally evolved with, so waking up to sunlight in the morning naturally signals the body to wake up, as the setting sun signals the body to go to sleep.

Many states, including Pennsylvania, have debated ending daylight saving time and switching to a permanent standard of time, but none have passed that into law. While daylight saving time may not be what the human body is naturally used to, it does allow for more sunlight in the evenings to enjoy the sunshine after school and work.