23 September 2026 is the autumn equinox. It is called “fen”, the dividing point, because day and night are almost equal on that day, and because it marks autumn halfway through. The character was explained in a Han-dynasty book, and what the ancients did on this day later turned into Mid-Autumn.
Reports say this winter’s polar vortex may be disturbed. In China, the old sayings around the autumn equinox are being brought out again. The two sets of claims rest on completely different evidence — and each covers a much narrower range than it sounds.
A Japanese supermarket puts up a “Higan” shelf, Koreans rush to clear the grass from family graves before Chuseok, and Chinese families start choosing mooncakes. Three unrelated scenes, and one autumn timetable shared across East Asia.
On 22 September this year, Japan gets a day off out of nowhere: by law, a day sandwiched between two public holidays automatically becomes a holiday. In the very same week, China, Korea and the Taiwan region of China all mark the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month. One “free” day off leads to the calendar East Asia shares.
