September marks a return to the norm for millions of households. School is back in session, summer vacation season has ended and fall begins. Routines take shape and life once again becomes more structured in September. As that transition takes place, individuals can consider these fun facts about the month of September.
1. Though Latin is no longer widely spoken or taught, plenty of words, including September, trace their origins to the language of ancient Rome and its empire. “Septem” is the Latin word for “seven,” and September was originally the seventh month of the Roman calendar.
2. Though the autumnal equinox, which marks the official beginning of fall, does not occur until later in the month, the unofficial end to summer occurs in the first weekend of September. Americans celebrate Labor Day and Canadians celebrate Labour Day on the first Monday in September, and millions of people in both countries consider that weekend the last hurrah for summer relaxation and revelry.
3. Labor Day is not the only holiday to be celebrated in September. In fact, Rosh Hashanah, a Jewish holiday that is often referred to as the “Jewish New Year,” also is celebrated in September in many years (the holiday occurs 163 days after the first day of Passover, so in certain years it is celebrated in early October). The Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur also can be celebrated in September or October, and Constitution Day, which commemorates the adoption of the United States constitution in 1787, is celebrated on September 17. Patriot Day also occurs annually on September 11 and is a day to remember the people killed in the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001.
4. Though its name might suggest otherwise, Oktoberfest actually begins in late September. Modern Oktoberfest celebrations, particularly those outside the Bavaria region of Germany, may have little to do with a marriage, but the festival traces its origins to the marriage of Kronprinz Ludwig to Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen on October 12, 1810. Citizens of Munich were invited to attend the festivities, and more than two centuries later that jovial atmosphere dominates the city, and countless others across the globe, during Oktoberfest.
5. Football fans circle the month of September on their calendars, as the month marks the return of the National Football League regular season. The reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs will host the Detroit Lions in the NFL Kickoff Game on September 7, and the rest of the league will take to the gridiron on September 10 and 11. That’s a big deal for millions of fans across the country, as the NFL remains wildly popular. In fact, an analysis by the Sports Business Journal found that per-game attendance averaged 69,442 fans in 2022, which marked the second-largest figure in 19 years.
