The Folklore of the Autumn Equinox: Marking the Sun's Path

The autumn equinox falls on 23 September in the UK in 2026. This marks the definite slide towards the winter solstice!

In terms of folklore, there are many articles about the autumn equinox from a neopagan perspective. Yet the festival only gained the name 'Mabon' in the 1970s, named by American Aidan Kelly. He chose 'Mabon' from Mabon ap Modron, who appears in Welsh mythology, though there is little in Mabon's story to link him with the autumn equinox.

There's little evidence that anyone celebrated the equinox in the same way they might celebrate the winter solstice. Instead, this period of the year is traditionally a time of harvest festivals. 

But as we’re looking at the Folklore of the Skies this month, I wanted to know: is there anything folklore about the autumn equinox in an astronomical sense?

Let’s find out in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore!

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