This (September 1) is officially the first day of spring in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. 

Unlike the rest of the world that dictates the seasons by the solar equinox, the Southern Hemisphere decided to pick the date that they consider the end of winter. 

We in North America emotionally realize that the Labour Day weekend is the end of summer, but we adhere to techy dweebs that demand we follow a ritual that  goes back to the Mayans and the ancient Egyptians.

Lets go back to our childhood.  September 1 was the end of the summer holidays and we were back to school.  For grownups it is the end of the vacation period and time to get back to business.  Historically it was the last day a man could wear white shoes or white pants in public (granted that is a bit outdated)

The weather may still be lovely but we only had Thanksgiving and Christmas for which to look forward.  (I would actually have written that last sentence with the ending “to look forward to”  but that would be a dangling participle.  If ever I am going to get rich by my blog, I have to improve my grammar. 

So we now enjoy the period of mild weather that leads to autumn colours (granted not here in Paradise Vancouver Island where we seem to skip fall) but for the rest of Canada, it is the next season.   Vacations are ended and the new programs are now being featured on TV.

We really should pick Sept 1 as the first day of fall.  I mean what is Sept 22 in the scheme of things?  This year it is a Saturday but what are you going to do that is special that day.

I think Australia, New Zealand and South Africa are right.  Sept 1 is the proper date for the change of season.

Reply to my blog as the start of a petition.  I figure if I get 896,000 signatures we could correct this historical mistake.