我一生都喜欢秋季，火红的秋色，预示着落叶、种子头、浆果和花青素（叶子中的红色色素）出现的季节
在整个春天和夏天，吸满生命阳光的叶绿素绿色，让红和黄的叶子色素隐藏起来。在秋季，植物分解叶绿素，在冬季休眠期间将其下放到根部。叶子变成金色、红宝石色和酒红色，然后再褪色，飘落大地。
秋季也是一种理念，人类对它的体验非常不同。这篇文章将探讨我们家西方文化教给我们关于秋天的知识，并思考与我们截然不同的东方社会传统。
欧洲/美洲的秋季
The idea of autumn in Western countries (among its white population) is a curious paradox of both bounty and fear. Beyond the scope of this article, but acknowledged, is the rich, unique heritage of First Peoples and African-Americans, whose autumn festivals encompass celebration, dance, song, ceremony and the spirit world.
在现代，美国的两个主要节日，万圣节和感恩节，已经成为商业活动，是购买服装、礼物、点心和节日仪式食品的时候。两者的起源和意义在很大程度上已经丧失。
秋季的丰收节，如感恩节和德国啤酒节，肯定可以追溯到农业发明和动物驯化的几千年前。丰收意味着社区在寒冷的冬季不会挨饿。每个人都依靠着彼此带来的收获，因此这些快乐的节日是关于社区和家庭的。
美国感恩节继续着原住民 "欢迎 "入侵他们土地的白人定居者的谎言。而现实却截然不同。
然而，美国的感恩节延续着原住民 "欢迎 "入侵他们土地的白人定居者的谎言。现实却截然不同。通过战争、苦役和疾病，北美和南美的原住民在几百年间被消灭并流离失所。
万圣节所表达的秋天概念似乎是一种恐惧。随着白昼越来越短，夜晚越来越长，人们幻想出邪恶的生物和鬼魂。古老的治愈系女巫被天主教变成了丑陋的女巫。像猫头鹰和蝙蝠这样的夜行动物变得危险或邪恶；在其它文化中，它们代表的，是智慧、幸运，甚至是神。我们自己的骨架是可怕的，是对死亡的恐惧。
Trick-or-treating—children setting off on Halloween night in costume and ringing doorbells to demand treats—has been a tradition in the U.S. for at least 100 years (much longer in Europe). Its origin remains murky, but is likely related to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (Ireland, England and Northern France). Samhain was when the dead returned to Earth, and villagers disguised themselves in costumes made of animal skins to drive away phantoms. Banquet tables were prepared, and food was left out to placate unwelcome spirits.
日本的秋季
Asia has many cultures and traditions, among which I identify most with the Japanese ideas about autumn. It reflects their love of natural beauty, which they have elevated into simple, yet profound short poems called Haiku.
Similar to the cherry blossom festival (Sakura) in the spring, the Japanese autumn festival (Momiji) is a floral festival that invites the Japanese to admire a moment of incredible colours in nature—the emergence of vivid reds, oranges and yellows—that only autumn can produce before decline and dormancy. From September to November, the Japanese crowd into gardens or take walks in parks or mountains to enjoy the spectacle offered by their famous Japanese maples, which have been nurtured and hybridized over centuries.
The appearance of red spider lilies (Higanbana) is a sign that autumn has arrived in Japan. You can see them everywhere in the rural parts of the country. The red dragonfly is also a sign of autumn, and there are Haiku poems written about both.
Autumn begins after the Obon holidays in the middle of August. Obon is a spiritual event in Japan when the souls of ancestors return to this world and are welcomed back for a few days until they once again depart, but Obon isn’t about fear. Rather, people are reminded about their transitory existence, making this a season of reflection.
Like the West, Japan has a bounty festival centred on one essential crop: rice. In October, when the rice is harvested, there are festivals held throughout the country. People go out with friends to eat seasonal foods and enjoy the autumn leaves and hot springs, or stay at home and grill delicious fish, eat chestnuts and steam matsutake mushrooms in an earthenware pot. Unlike Thanksgiving, there is no single evening of family and special, seasonal foods.
赏月
Another wonderful autumn idea in Japan is “moon viewing” (Tsukimi). Dating back to the Heian era (794 to 1185 A.D.), the concept of moon-viewing has evolved. Instead of lavish banquets, people love to gaze at the moon with a small snack at the time of the full moon in September.
虽然一本好书在任何时候都可以享受，但人们认为秋季是一个特别适合阅读的好时机。这个想法可能源于中国诗人韩愈，他在一首诗中指出，秋夜如此平静而舒适，因此非常适合在烛光下阅读。大多数日本学校会在10月下旬和11月之间设置一个阅读周，鼓励学生们更多去图书馆，阅读更多书籍。
在俳句诗中，有一种叫做 "秋天的声音 "，即枯脆的树叶在远处沙沙作响的声音，或是"秋天的音乐"，即风或雨落在树叶上的声音。伟大的诗人松尾芭蕉有一首秋天的诗，最受日本人喜爱；所有学童都要学会。这首诗是他在1680年的秋天写的：
枯枝上
坐着一只乌鸦
秋季的夜幕降临
——芭蕉
这是一个简单的画面，我几乎可以听见乌鸦在树枝上安家，对着空旷的夜晚鸣叫。在禅意的境界中，他暗示了万物的相互依存关系。现在，那是一个古老的秋季想法。
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图1 nekoroom 来自 Pixabay 2 图片由 Benjamin Balazs 来自 Pixabay 3 图片由 Gerd Altmann 来自 Pixabay
