Autumn begins in Germany, bringing shorter days, cooler temperatures and changes in nature as the season progresses. Trees and other plants also begin their transition towards winter. But when is autumn officially considered to have begun? The answer depends on which definition of the season you use.
For the astronomical calendar, autumn began in Germany on September 23, 2026, at 2:05 a.m. Central European Summer Time. This was the autumnal equinox, the moment when the Sun crosses the celestial equator as it moves southward. Around the equinox, day and night are approximately equal in length. From this point onwards, daylight continues to decrease in the Northern Hemisphere, bringing progressively longer nights as winter approaches. Astronomical autumn lasts until the winter solstice in December, when astronomical winter begins.
Meteorologists use a simpler system. Their autumn begins on September 1 and lasts through November 30, covering the three complete months of September, October and November. This fixed definition is useful for comparing weather and climate data between different years. Instead of waiting for an astronomical event, meteorologists can compare the same three-month period consistently.
There is also the phenological calendar, which follows observable changes in plants rather than fixed dates. In Germany, the German Weather Service uses observations of plant development to identify different seasonal phases. Autumn is divided into early autumn, full autumn and late autumn, with indicators including fruit ripening and changes such as leaves turning and falling. Because these developments depend on nature, their timing can vary.
As autumn progresses, daylight decreases and nights become longer. Temperatures generally trend downward, although individual days can still vary considerably. Nature also changes visibly: fruits ripen, leaves change colour and eventually fall, and plants move through different stages on their way towards winter.
Autumn in Germany is more than changing leaves and cooler days. 🍂 It is a season of harvests, regional food and traditional celebrations, from grape and wine festivals in Germany’s wine-growing regions to harvest events and folk festivals featuring local music, food and customs. Oktoberfest is the best-known example, while traditions such as decorated cattle returning from mountain pastures and St Martin’s lantern processions add their own regional character to the season.
In Bavaria and the Alpine regions, Almabtrieb marks the return of decorated cattle from mountain pastures to the valleys. In November, St Martin’s Day is marked in many parts of Germany with lantern processions, with children carrying handmade lanterns and singing traditional songs.
The arrival of autumn also brings the annual return from summer time to standard time. In 2026, Germany's daylight saving time ends on Sunday, October 25. At 3:00 a.m. Central European Summer Time, clocks are turned back one hour to 2:00 a.m. Central European Time. The same hour therefore occurs twice that night.
The clock change does not cause the days themselves to become shorter; daylight is already decreasing because of the changing position of the Northern Hemisphere relative to the Sun. What changes is how that daylight is shown on the clock.
So autumn in Germany is not defined by a single date. It can be marked by the astronomical equinox, the fixed meteorological season or changes observed in nature, while the October clock change changes how daylight hours are arranged on the clock.
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