September is when summer starts to turn into fall in the Northern Hemisphere, bringing cooler weather and colorful leaves. While a lot of people know the major holidays and events in September, there are a few neat facts you might not have heard about:

1. The Month of Fire: Back in ancient Rome, September was all about Vulcan, the god of fire. It got that connection because September used to be the seventh month of the Roman calendar, when the summer heat was still intense. And did you know that the name “September” comes from the Latin word “septem,” meaning seven?

2. The Missing Days of September 1752: In 1752, the British Empire made a big change to their calendar, switching from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. That meant they had to skip 11 days in September, so after September 2nd came September 14th. This switch was needed to fix the drift that had built up over centuries due to mistakes in the Julian calendar.

3. Barley Month: The Anglo-Saxons had a cool name for September: “Gerst Monath,” which means "barley month". They called it that because it was when they harvested barley, a really important crop for them. They used barley for food and for brewing beer, which was a big part of their diet.

So, September is a month full of history and tradition, with lots of interesting stories just waiting to be uncovered. Whether you’re enjoying the first signs of autumn or celebrating the harvest, there’s always something special about this time of year.