September

This article is about the month. For and, see September (disambiguation).

"Sep." redirects here. For other uses, see SEP.

"Sept." redirects here. For the family word, see Sept.

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September (ⁱ/ˌsɛptˈɛmbər/ sep-TEM-bər) is the ninth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of four months with a length of 30 days.

September in the Northern Hemisphere is the seasonal equivalent of March in the Southern Hemisphere. In the Northern hemisphere, the beginning of the meteorological autumn is on 1 September. In the Southern hemisphere, the beginning of the meteorological spring is on 1 September.

September (from Latin septem, "seven") was originally the seventh of ten months on the oldest known Roman calendar, with March (Latin Martius) the first month of the year until perhaps as late as 153 BC. After the calendar reform that added January and February to the beginning of the year, September became the ninth month, but retained its name. It had 29 days until the Julian reform, which added a day.

September marks the beginning of the ecclesiastical year in the Eastern Orthodox Church. It is the start of the academic year in many countries, in which children go back to school after the summer break, sometimes on the first day of the month.

The autumnal equinox in the northern hemisphere and the vernal or spring equinox in the southern hemisphere occur on dates varying from 21 September to 24 September (in UTC). In the pagan wheel of the year the spring equinox is the time of Ostara and is celebrated on the first Sunday of September.

September is mostly in the sixth month of the astrological calendar (and the first part of the seventh), which begins at the end of March/Mars/Aries.

Month-long observances

• Amerindian Heritage Month (Guyana)
• Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
• Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month
• Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month
• Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month

United States observances

• Food Safety Education Month
• Pain Awareness Month
• National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month
• National Ovarian Cancer Month
• National Preparedness Month
• National Prostate Health Month
• National Sickle Cell Awareness Month
• National Yoga Month
• National Bourbon Heritage Month
• Better Breakfast Month
• California Wine Month
• National Chicken Month
• National Honey Month
• National Mushroom Month
• National Papaya Month
• National Potato Month
• National Rice Month
• National Whole Grains Month
• National Wild Rice Month

Other observances

• National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15)
• German American Heritage Month begins on September 15 in the United States.
• Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day (typically the last week in September)
• Constitution Week (United States) September 17–23
• Talk Like a Pirate Day (September 19)

Movable Gregorian Observances

• White Balloon Day (Australia)
• Sustainable House Day (Australia)
• National Public Lands Day (United States)

First Friday

• Labor Day (Marshall Islands)
• Teachers' Day (Singapore)

Saturday before First Monday

• International Bacon Day

First Sunday

• Father's Day (Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea)

First Sunday after September 4

• Wakes Week (Parts of England and Scotland) (September 6–12)
  • Abbots Bromley Horn Dance (Abbots Bromley, Staffordshire, England) (September 7)

Week of September 10

• National Suicide Prevention Week (United States)

First Monday

• Labor Day (Canada, United States, Palau)

Thursday after the first Sunday

• Jeûne genevois (Canton of Geneva, Switzerland) September 10

Nearest weekday to September 12

• Saragarhi Day (Sikhism)

Second Saturday

• Day of the Workers in the Oil, Gas, Power, and Geological Industry (Turkmenistan)

Saturday after first Monday

• Carl Garner Federal Lands Cleanup Day (United States)

Second Sunday

• Grandparent's Day (Canada, Estonia)

Sunday after first Monday

• National Grandparents' Day (United States)

Second Sunday

• Auditor's Day (Church of Scientology)
• Father's Day (Latvia)
• National Grandparents' Day (Canada, Estonia, United States)
• Racial Justice Sunday (British Churches)
• Turkmen Bakhshi Day (Turkmenistan)

Weekday nearest September 17

• Constitution Day (United States)

Weekend of the Week of September 17

• Von Steuben Day (United States)

Third Friday

• National POW/MIA Recognition Day (United States)

Third Weekend

• Clean Up the World Weekend

Saturday of the Third Weekend

• German-American Steuben Parade (United States)
• Software Freedom Day

Sunday of the Third Weekend

• Cow Harbor Day (Northport, New York, United States)
• Day of the Walloon Region (Wallonia, Belgium)
• Father's Day (Ukraine)
• Federal Day of Thanksgiving, Repentance and Prayer (Switzerland
• Warachikuy (Cusco, Peru)

Week of September 22

• Tolkien Week

Sunday before September 23 to Saturday

• Bisexual Awareness Week

Third Monday

• Respect for the Aged Day (Japan)

Third Tuesday

• Prinsjesdag (Netherlands)

Fourth Friday

• Native American Day (California, South Dakota, United States)

Last Friday

• Manit Day (Marshall Islands)

Fourth Sunday

• National Good Neighbor Day (United States)

Last Sunday

• Gold Star Mother's Day (United States)

Fixed Gregorian observances

September, from the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry

School starts in September in many countries, such as here, in Liège

WPA poster, 1940

Sapphire, September birthstone

Forget-me-not, September birth flower

• September 1
  • Anniversary of the Start of the Armed Struggle (Eritrea)
  • Constitution Day (Slovakia)
  • Disaster Prevention Day (Japan)
  • Flag Day (Honduras)
  • Independence Day (Uzbekistan)
  • Journalist Day (Taiwan)
  • Knowledge Day (Russia)
  • Random Acts of Kindness Day (New Zealand)
  • Teachers' Day (Singapore)
  • Wattle Day (Australia)
• September 2
  • Democracy Day (Tibet)
  • Independence day (Transnistria, unrecognized)
  • Independence day (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, unrecognized)
  • National Day (Vietnam)
  • Sedantag (German Empire)
  • Victory over Japan Day (United States)
• September 3
  • China's victory over Japan commemoration related observances:
    • Armed Forces Day (Republic of China)
    • V-J Day (People's Republic of China)
  • Feast of San Marino and the Republic, celebrates the foundation of the Republic of San Marino in 301.
  • Flag Day (Australia)
  • Independence Day (Qatar)
  • Levy Mwanawasa Day (Zambia)
  • Memorial Day (Tunisia)
  • Merchant Navy Remembrance Day (Canada)
  • Merchant Navy (United Kingdom)
• September 4
  • Clear Day (Scientology)
  • Immigrant's Day (Argentina)
  • Ludi Romani (Ancient Rome), September 4–19
  • National Macadamia Nut Day (United States)
  • Newspaper Carrier Day (United States)
• September 5
  • International Day of Charity (International)
  • Jupiter Stator, commemorates that Jupiter helped Romulus to stop the Sabine invasion under Titus Tatius. (Ancient Rome)
  • National Cheese Pizza Day (United States)
  • Teachers' Day (India)
• September 6
  • Armed Forces Day (São Tomé and Príncipe)
  • Defence Day or Army Day (Pakistan)
  • Flag Day (Bonaire)
  • Independence Day (Swaziland)
  • National Coffee Ice Cream Day (United States)
  • Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day (several U.S. states and Canadian provinces)
  • Unification Day (Bulgaria)
• September 7
  • Air Force Day (Pakistan)
  • Independence Day (Brazil)
  • Military Intelligence Day (Ukraine)
  • National Threatened Species Day (Australia)
  • Victory Day (Mozambique)
• September 8
  • Day of the Battle of Borodino (Russia)
  • Feast Day of Our Lady of Meritxell (national holiday in Andorra)
  • Feast of 'Izzat (Might), only if Bahá'í Naw-Rúz falls on March 21, which it does for 2015 (Bahá'í Faith)
  • Independence Day (Republic of Macedonia)
  • International Literacy Day
  • Martyrs' Day (Afghanistan) (date may fall on September 9, follows a non-Gregorian calendar)
  • National day (Andorra)
  • Nativity of Mary (Roman Catholic Church), (Anglo-Catholicism)
    • Monti Fest (Mangalorean Catholic)
  • Victory Day (Pakistan)
  • Victory Day (Malta)
  • World Physical Therapy Day
• September 9
  • Armored Forces Day (Ukraine)
  • California Admission Day (California, United States)
  • Children's Day (Costa Rica)
  • Chrysanthemum Day (Japan)
  • Day of the Victims of Holocaust and of Racial Violence (Slovakia)
  • Independence Day or Republic Day (North Korea)
  • Independence Day (Tajikistan) from USSR in 1991.
  • Martyrs' Day (Afghanistan) (date may fall on September 8, follows a non-Gregorian calendar)
  • National Steak Au Poivre Day (United States)
  • Remembrance for Herman the Cheruscan (The Troth)
  • Wienerschnitzel Day (United States)
  • Wonderful Weirdos Day
• September 10
  • Amerindian Heritage Day (Guyana)
  • Children's Day (Honduras)
  • National Day (Gibraltar)
  • Saint George's Caye Day (Belize)
  • Teachers' Day (China)
  • World Suicide Prevention Day
• September 11
  • Battle of Tendra Day (Russia)
  • Death Anniversary of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, a former holiday. (Pakistan)
  • Emergency Number Day (United States)
  • Enkutatash falls on this day if it is not a leap year.(Ethiopia, Rastafari)
  • National Day of Catalonia (Catalonia)
  • National Hot Cross Bun Day (United States)
  • Nayrouz (Coptic Orthodox Church)
  • Patriot Day (United States)
  • Remember Freedom Day
  • Teachers' Day (Argentina)
• September 12
  • Day of Conception (Russia)
  • Day of the Programmer, during a leap year. (International)
  • Defenders Day (Maryland. (United States)
  • Enkutatash falls on this day if it is a leap year. (Ethiopia, Rastafari)
  • Mindfulness Day
  • National Chocolate Milkshake Day (United States)
  • National Day (Cape Verde)
  • National Day of Encouragement (United States)
  • Saragarhi Day (Sikhism) (this day or nearest weekday, 2015 date: September 11)
• September 13
  • Day of the Programmer, during a non-leap year. (International)
  • Feast of the Cross (Assyrian Church of the East)
  • Día de los Niños Héroes (Mexico)
  • Engineer's Day (Mauritius)
  • Epulum Jovis, celebrated on the Ides of September, during the Ludi Romani. (Roman Empire)
  • International Chocolate Day
• September 14
  • Children's Day (Nepal) (celebrated on the 15th on leap years)
  • Engineer's Day (Romania)
  • Feast of the Cross (Christianity)
    • Elevation of the Holy Cross (Eastern Orthodox)
  • Hindi Diwas (Hindi-speaking regions)
  • Mobilized Servicemen Day (Ukraine)
  • National Eat a Hoagie Day (United States)
  • San Jacinto Day (Nicaragua)
• September 15
  • Battle of Britain Day (United Kingdom)
  • Children's Day (Nepal) (leap years only)
  • Engineer's Day (India)
  • Free Money Day (International)
  • Independence Day (Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica)
  • International Day of Democracy (International)
  • Knowledge Day (Azerbaijan)
  • Patriotic Day (Guatemala)
  • Restoration of Primorska to the Motherland Day (Slovenia)
  • Silpa Bhirasri Day (Thailand).
  • World Lymphoma Awareness Day (International)
  • The beginning of National Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated until October 15 (United States)
• September 16
  • Grito de Dolores (Mexico)
  • Independence Day (Papua New Guinea), celebrates the independence of Papua New Guinea from Australia in 1975.
  • International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer
  • Malaysian Armed Forces Day (Malaysia)
  • Malaysia Day (Malaysia, Singapore)
  • Martyrs' Day (Libya)
  • Heroes' Day (Saint Kitts and Nevis)
  • National Guacamole Day (United States)
  • Stay Away from Seattle Day
• September 17
  • Australian Citizenship Day
  • Constitution Day (United States) (observed on the previous Friday if it falls on a Saturday, the following Monday if on a Sunday)
  • Heroes' Day (Angola)
  • Marathwada Liberation Day (India)
  • National Apple Dumpling Day (United States)
  • Operation Market Garden Anniversary is still remembered with parachuting and dedications on this day. (Netherlands)
  • Teachers' Day (Honduras)
  • Von Steuben Day. (United States), weekend of the week of September 17.
• September 18
  • Day of National Music (Azerbaijan)
  • First day of Fiestas Patrias (Chile) or Dieciocho (Chile)
  • Island Language Day (Okinawa Prefecture, Japan)
  • Ludi Triumphales (Ancient Rome) (September 19–22)
  • Navy Day (Croatia)
  • World Water Monitoring Day (International)
• September 19
  • Armed Forces Day (Chile)
  • Day of the First Public Appearance of the Slovak National Council
  • Feast of San Gennaro
  • Second day of Fiestas Patrias (Chile)
  • Independence Day, (Saint Kitts and Nevis)
  • International Talk Like a Pirate Day
• September 20
  • Independence Day of South Ossetia (not fully recognized)
  • National Youth Day (Thailand)
  • Oil Workers' Day (Azerbaijan)
  • Universal Children's Day (Germany)
• September 21
• September 22
• September 23
  • Celebrate Bisexuality Day
  • September equinox (2015 date)
• September 24
  • Heritage Day (South Africa)
• September 25
  • Revolution Day (Mozambique)
• September 26
• September 27
• September 28
• September 29
  • National Coffee Day (multiple countries, see article)
  • Inventors' Day (Argentina)
  • Michaelmas One of the four quarter days in the Irish calendar. (England and Ireland)
  • Victory of Boquerón Day (Paraguay)
  • World Heart Day
• September 30

Miscellanea

The Dutch Finance Minister carrying the 'third Tuesday in September' suitcase, 1983.

• In 1752, the British Empire adopted the Gregorian calendar. In the British Empire that year, September 2 was immediately followed by September 14.
• On Usenet, it is said that September 1993 (Eternal September) never ended.
• September in the Northern Hemisphere is the seasonal equivalent to March in the Southern Hemisphere and vice versa.
• The principal ecclesiastical feasts falling within the month are: the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin on the 8th, the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on the 14th, St. Matthew the apostle on the 21st, and St. Michael the archangel on the 29th.
• September was called "harvest month" in Charlemagne's calendar.
• September corresponds partly to the Fructidor and partly to the Vendémiaire of the first French republic.
• The Anglo-Saxons called the month Gerstmonath, barley month, that crop being then usually harvested.
• September is called Herbstmonat, harvest month, in Switzerland.
• The Chinese August Moon festival (more correctly called the Mid-Autumn Festival) usually occurs in September.
• As a celebration for the coming October, the traditional harvest month in historic Germany, the German Oktoberfest is celebrated near the end of September.
• Every third Tuesday in September, it is Prinsjesdag in the Netherlands, when the king will hold the Speech from the throne and the government will state its policy and budget plans in the Budget Memorandum for the next year. The plans are carried in a suitcase with the text "DERDE DINSDAG IN SEPTEMBER" (THIRD TUESDAY IN SEPTEMBER).
• Every fourth Monday in September, the Minister-President of Flanders reads the September Declaration to the Flemish Parliament about the state of affairs in society and what the Flemish Government plans to do next year.

September symbols

• September's birthstone is the sapphire.
• The birth flowers for September are the forget-me-not, morning glory and aster.
• The zodiac signs for the month of September are Virgo (until September 22) and Libra (from September 23 onwards).

External links

• The dictionary definition of September at Wiktionary
• Media related to September at Wikimedia Commons
• Quotations related to September at Wikiquote