***Article curretly being reworked at the suggestion of sub-eds***

Autumn is the third season, coming between summer and winter. Technically, it begins on the vernal equinox ¹which occurs on 21st September each year. However, most people follow the idea that it is the time of year when deciduous trees lose their leaves, temperatures drop and days become shorter². In the northern hemisphere, students return to colleges and universities. In the Southern Hemisphere, autumn happens in spring.

In America this season is called "fall", because the leaves descend from the trees, which is apt, if rather dull.***was called fall in Britain around time of Shakespeare***

The seasons are caused by the axial tilt of the Earth. Autumn comes at the time when a hemisphere is moving away from tilting towards the sun and is starting to look away and pretend, for a few months at least, that it's never really been good friends with our nearest star and it wouldn't give it the time of day if it asked.

Autumn is the favourite season for many. It is neither too hot, nor too cold. People like wrapping up in scarves and gloves in the fresh, bright mornings and kicking through piles of red and orange leaves. Bonfires are also popular at this time of year, especially in Britain where people use them to burn effigies of a traitor³.

The adjectives that are often applied to autumn are surprisingly similar to those used for lager - cool, clear and refreshing (but not cold-filtered for a more satisfying brew). Autumn is also used as a metaphor for the later years of someone's life.