Alolan_Apples
“Assorted” Collector
...to their preceding months?
We all know the four seasons of the year and what months go into each season. The transition months (March, June, September, and December), despite most of each month taking place in the former season, they identify with the latter season, as well as the two succeeding months of each season. We also have the core months (January, April, July, and October), which are the most like the season they’re part of. The ambiguous months (February, May, August, and November) are an interesting story. Despite being part of the season the preceding core month is, they are more like the next season. It’s not just the shifting seasons. It’s the feeling of preparation for the next season that makes the month more like the next season.
One of my ideas for my Winter Island series is the four seasons of Winter Island. Because Winter Island observes an eternal winter, the four seasons we follow do not apply there. Instead, they have four different seasons, which are based on how much hours of sun they get and whether or not days are getting longer. Each of the seasons (Falling Season, Moon Season, Rising Season, and Sun Season) are akin to Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer (respectively), but they include the month that comes before and excludes the last month. For instance, the Falling Season - “the season of shrinking daylight hours” - includes all of August except for the first five days and only include November’s first four days. Each season is also 91 days (except for the Moon Season, which has 92 days). The fact that all four seasons on Winter Island are like that could be a nod to everything covered in this blog entry.
August:
August is hardly anything but a summer month. It’s all hot and humid, bugs are still common, kids are still out to play, and (if it’s an even year divisible by 4) the Summer Olympics take place in it. Not only that, but summer activities still take place, there are no American holidays (which are rare in June and July as well), days are longer than nights, but days are getting shorter and nights are getting longer (which happens in all of summer), and it’s in the middle of the year (the period of dominant summer months). Therefore, it’s hard to believe that it’s not a summer month.
However, August is no more of a summer month than July is, and not even as much of a summer month June is. In some ways, August is a fall month. It’s still a summer month either way. But August is when we see the earliest signs of fall:
November:
Even though November is a fall month, it can be a winter month. Since fall has been getting hotter, as the heat is finally gone away in November, I could identify November with winter. This is especially true if snow begins in November. Sometimes, November can be the coldest month of the year. Here are the other signs that tell that November is a winter month:
Despite all that, November is still a fall month. The angle of the Earth’s tilt, the direction it’s tilting towards, the similarities to October, and the long time classification of November being a fall month has proven that.
February:
Just like August being a summer month, February is still a winter month. It still has snowy weather, the Winter Olympics take place in February (every even year indivisible by 4), days are shorter than nights, but days get longer and nights get shorter, and it’s among the earliest times of the year (which are winter months).
Also like August, February has enough signs to prove that it’s part of the next season. While the hot days extend to October, the cold days extend to April. In some states, it can snow in the month of April. Even in Texas, you do get the April chill (where the first couple of days in April are colder than the end of March). Since February is getting warmer and/or spring is getting colder, February is starting to become more of a spring month. I’m not sure if winter is disappearing in February, or if its overstaying itself through April. Here are the other similarities that February is more like March and April while it alienates itself from December and January:
May:
The last ambiguous month to discuss here is the month of May. We can see how March and April are very much like spring. May, however, is less like spring. In fact, it’s more like summer. One reason why is that even if winter is long gone, the cold days should finally be clear by then. Another reason is that May is as early 90° weather can occur. Here are the other early signs of summer that occur in May:
Conclusion:
I still choose to accept that February is part of the winter, May is part of the spring, August is part of the summer, and November is part of the fall. But due to shifting seasons and some activity similarities, they all have similarities to the next season that makes them more like that season. And every month in one quarter (assuming that the first month of a quarter is a core month) has similarities to each other that no other month has.
We all know the four seasons of the year and what months go into each season. The transition months (March, June, September, and December), despite most of each month taking place in the former season, they identify with the latter season, as well as the two succeeding months of each season. We also have the core months (January, April, July, and October), which are the most like the season they’re part of. The ambiguous months (February, May, August, and November) are an interesting story. Despite being part of the season the preceding core month is, they are more like the next season. It’s not just the shifting seasons. It’s the feeling of preparation for the next season that makes the month more like the next season.
One of my ideas for my Winter Island series is the four seasons of Winter Island. Because Winter Island observes an eternal winter, the four seasons we follow do not apply there. Instead, they have four different seasons, which are based on how much hours of sun they get and whether or not days are getting longer. Each of the seasons (Falling Season, Moon Season, Rising Season, and Sun Season) are akin to Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer (respectively), but they include the month that comes before and excludes the last month. For instance, the Falling Season - “the season of shrinking daylight hours” - includes all of August except for the first five days and only include November’s first four days. Each season is also 91 days (except for the Moon Season, which has 92 days). The fact that all four seasons on Winter Island are like that could be a nod to everything covered in this blog entry.
August:
August is hardly anything but a summer month. It’s all hot and humid, bugs are still common, kids are still out to play, and (if it’s an even year divisible by 4) the Summer Olympics take place in it. Not only that, but summer activities still take place, there are no American holidays (which are rare in June and July as well), days are longer than nights, but days are getting shorter and nights are getting longer (which happens in all of summer), and it’s in the middle of the year (the period of dominant summer months). Therefore, it’s hard to believe that it’s not a summer month.
However, August is no more of a summer month than July is, and not even as much of a summer month June is. In some ways, August is a fall month. It’s still a summer month either way. But August is when we see the earliest signs of fall:
- Fall gardening begins.
- Halloween decorations (including Halloween candy) are being sold in some stores.
- From my perspective, August is also when it begins to cool down after two scorching hot months. It happened in the last four years (especially in 2017).
- School begins to start back up in August.
- Even if you’re on Daylight Savings Time, the Sun is no longer visible after 9 PM or even 8 PM.
- Some people are ready for the summer to end and are excited about the fall.
November:
Even though November is a fall month, it can be a winter month. Since fall has been getting hotter, as the heat is finally gone away in November, I could identify November with winter. This is especially true if snow begins in November. Sometimes, November can be the coldest month of the year. Here are the other signs that tell that November is a winter month:
- Early in the month, Daylight Savings Time ends. The sky at 6 PM (or even 5 PM) is completely dark.
- Late in the month, there is a holiday called Black Friday. That, as well as Cyber Monday, are related to the Christmas shopping season.
- When Halloween decorations go down, Christmas decorations start coming up. It can be before or after Thanksgiving.
- Thanksgiving may be a harvest festival (which is a fall-related holiday), but the way we celebrate it is more like Christmas than Halloween.
- Leaves begin falling off of trees. Even in October when leaves change colors, they stay on trees.
- November is along either the last two months or the first two months of the year (which is the period of dominant winter months).
Despite all that, November is still a fall month. The angle of the Earth’s tilt, the direction it’s tilting towards, the similarities to October, and the long time classification of November being a fall month has proven that.
February:
Just like August being a summer month, February is still a winter month. It still has snowy weather, the Winter Olympics take place in February (every even year indivisible by 4), days are shorter than nights, but days get longer and nights get shorter, and it’s among the earliest times of the year (which are winter months).
Also like August, February has enough signs to prove that it’s part of the next season. While the hot days extend to October, the cold days extend to April. In some states, it can snow in the month of April. Even in Texas, you do get the April chill (where the first couple of days in April are colder than the end of March). Since February is getting warmer and/or spring is getting colder, February is starting to become more of a spring month. I’m not sure if winter is disappearing in February, or if its overstaying itself through April. Here are the other similarities that February is more like March and April while it alienates itself from December and January:
- Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) and Ash Wednesday occurs in February and in March. It happens more often in February, but Mardi Gras is part of the Easter season, and Easter is always in the spring. In Western Christianity, it happens in March and in April.
- Groundhog’s Day, a superstitious holiday that determines the fate of winter, occurs in February. By then, people would be sick of the winter and would hope for spring to come.
- Sunlight occurs after 6 PM in February (7 PM if you’re on Daylight Savings Time). You can’t catch it that late in January, but you can in March.
- Valentine’s Day, a holiday in February, is named after two martyred saints. The holiday based on the crucifixion of Jesus occurs in March and April. If that connection isn’t strong enough, roses are a symbol of Valentine’s Day, and flowers are a symbol of spring.
- Despite being in the winter, Valentine’s Day is more spring than winter. You could say the same for St Patrick’s Day.
- February has a lot of holidays. March and April are dense in holidays and events, but January is rather light.
May:
The last ambiguous month to discuss here is the month of May. We can see how March and April are very much like spring. May, however, is less like spring. In fact, it’s more like summer. One reason why is that even if winter is long gone, the cold days should finally be clear by then. Another reason is that May is as early 90° weather can occur. Here are the other early signs of summer that occur in May:
- The school year is within the last month in May. Once it’s over, kids are out for summer vacation while they move to the next grade when they return.
- Pollen becomes less common (and less of a nuisance).
- Flowers begin to close up (or have already closed).
- Bugs become more common.
- May is within the middle four months of the year (the period of dominant summer months).
- Mother’s Day occurs in May. And Father’s Day occurs in June.
Conclusion:
I still choose to accept that February is part of the winter, May is part of the spring, August is part of the summer, and November is part of the fall. But due to shifting seasons and some activity similarities, they all have similarities to the next season that makes them more like that season. And every month in one quarter (assuming that the first month of a quarter is a core month) has similarities to each other that no other month has.
