The name September comes from the old Roman word 'septem', which means seven, because in the Roman calendar it was the seventh month. The Anglo-Saxons called it Gerst monath (Barley month), because it was their time when they harvested barley to be made into their favourite drink - barley brew. They also called it Haefest monath, or Harvest month. The Romans believed that the month of September was looked after by the god, Vulcan. As the god of the fire and forge they therefore expected September to be associated with fires, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. September is the start of the school year. Students [in the northern hemisphere] return to school after the six week summer holiday.[1]

September is the month when spring starts in the Southern Hemisphere and autumn starts in the Northern Hemisphere.

On or round the 23rd of September the days and nights are of equal length throughout the World, that is known as the spring equinox in the southern hemisphere and the autumn equinox in the northern hmisphere. The other month when there is an equinox is March.

Since early in the 21st Century September has been remembered as the month when the terrible September 11, 2001 attacks happened in New York City and at the Pentagon.

