It’s been awhile, fancy meeting you again. The trees are starting to show us how to detach from things that have been with them so long; leaves. They are literally “leaving” aren’t they? I have some things to ponder… Why is September called September? It is the ninth month of the year, but yet the latin word Septem means seven. Hmm. Now that is interesting and doesn’t make much sense, does it? Just tell that to the Romans, who used a different calendar from what we use today and included only ten months. How many of you knew that? Around 451 BC, two months were added, which were January and February, after realizing that the winter months should be named too. That’s when September became the ninth month as we know it today, but the Romans had different names for the months, there were also 29 days in September for quite some time, and they even decided to skip certain days- the 2nd– 14th! Can you imagine having a birthday on one of those days and being told they’re being skipped?
September used to be called the barley month, or Gerst Monath, by the Anglo-Saxons. This was the month that barley was harvested and made into a brew, called barley brew. Most beers today are made with a barley or malt by soaking them in water, allowing germination and fermentation to take place. Heating the barley and malts at different temperatures is what creates either lighter or darker colored beers. The higher the temperature and/or roasting= the darker the beer. Barley is often listed on beer ingredients as maltose, which is barley sugar. Perhaps this explains why fall gives rise to fall fests, with beer showing up to get a lot of the spotlight.
September used to be called the hot and fiery month, and most likely because it was the 7th month once upon a time, and we know that in Northeastern Ohio, in July, it’s fantastically hot! The term given to September was Vulcan, named after a god, because that is what Roman’s did; named months after gods. As September moved to the ninth month, perhaps it could have been named after leaves that have exfoliated, or something fall equinox related, as the sun is lower in the sky.
For Ohioans, September and the fall season means clambakes. Growing up in Northeast Pennsylvania, I never heard of clambakes, nor did I partake in any of the savory goodness the clams and fixings provide to native Ohioans. The clams do not come from Northeast Ohio, so why do Ohioans do this? How could I grow up an hour and forty-five minutes away and never hear about clambakes? I guess for the same reason that Ohioans haven’t heard that French fries belong on salads! Yes, that’s right! French fries add a delectable crunch to your favorite gourmet salads, and are often served on them in most Erie and Pittsburgh restaurants. They are a tasty pairing to chicken salads topped with ranch dressing actually! But, this my friends is a topic for another time.
