"When summer is associated with holidays, winter with shopping sprees, and spring with the financial year, capitalism has taken complete control of the seasons. How much more in tune with our planet would we be if we measured the year by the emergence of insects, the singing of birds, and the blossoming of fruit trees instead?"
Lovely essay. It seems "nature" has become just a scenic backdrop and the wisdom that it is in fact what sustains our very lives is gone - this is insanity of course. So many have become accustomed to all the foods flown in from all over the world throughout the year... and nobody seems to care that blueberries flown in from South America in Winter taste like dog food pellets at best. Or that those big strawberries with white centers trucked in from California are tasteless, when compared to the little garden (or wild) strawberries available only in June. Our willingness to settle for gross-tasting food, when we could eat delicious in-season food, is puzzling.
I really enjoyed this post. The seasons have always been dear to me. I grew up with all four of them, here at the foot of the Alps. We used to have a lot of snow in Winter, so much that the small public bus had to put chains on the tires in order to climb the steep road to my village and you never knew if you would manage to come back from school in time for lunch. We didn't have air conditioning in our cars and our schools, it wasn't necessary, you just spent hot summer days in the shade playing with water guns. During the last few years, snow stopped coming here in the Winter, it's the most heartbreaking of the consequences of climate change for me, no more White Christmas magic. However, "First frost" is the little season of my birthday, I like that 🙂
Beautiful and important post. I think there are several books or sites that are coming up with UK based microseasons or encouraging people to make their own as obviously we don’t have the same plants and wildlife as Japan. I am part of a group that encourages us to observe seasonal markers local to us.
I do see your point, but our microseasons need to relate to here, this year, rather than Japan, sometime in memory. Each town is different, London on the Regents Canal is very different to Derby on the Derwent, and neither knows about the moors around the Roaches.
Thoroughly enjoyed this read and learning about the 72 microseasons. Through immense loss, I made a strong decision with my future to live a life of following the seasons. It brings me much peace and encouragement. Thank you for posting.
You might enjoy ‘Light Rains Sometimes Fall’ by Lev Parikian: levparikian@substack.com
I was about to say the same thing!
Nature's calendar did the same thing too, crowd sourcing nature's events on twitter a few years ago and it's now a book
Oooh that is lovely!
THIS!!!!
"When summer is associated with holidays, winter with shopping sprees, and spring with the financial year, capitalism has taken complete control of the seasons. How much more in tune with our planet would we be if we measured the year by the emergence of insects, the singing of birds, and the blossoming of fruit trees instead?"
100%
“ Beautiful, Thomas, and thanks for the tip about OmVed Garden. I’ll put it on my list for my next trip to London!
Lovely essay. It seems "nature" has become just a scenic backdrop and the wisdom that it is in fact what sustains our very lives is gone - this is insanity of course. So many have become accustomed to all the foods flown in from all over the world throughout the year... and nobody seems to care that blueberries flown in from South America in Winter taste like dog food pellets at best. Or that those big strawberries with white centers trucked in from California are tasteless, when compared to the little garden (or wild) strawberries available only in June. Our willingness to settle for gross-tasting food, when we could eat delicious in-season food, is puzzling.
Completely agree
I really enjoyed this post. The seasons have always been dear to me. I grew up with all four of them, here at the foot of the Alps. We used to have a lot of snow in Winter, so much that the small public bus had to put chains on the tires in order to climb the steep road to my village and you never knew if you would manage to come back from school in time for lunch. We didn't have air conditioning in our cars and our schools, it wasn't necessary, you just spent hot summer days in the shade playing with water guns. During the last few years, snow stopped coming here in the Winter, it's the most heartbreaking of the consequences of climate change for me, no more White Christmas magic. However, "First frost" is the little season of my birthday, I like that 🙂
Gorgeous memories!! It always used to snow here on my birthday too, end of January, hasn’t done for a long time now
I'll cross my fingers for next year!
Beautiful and important post. I think there are several books or sites that are coming up with UK based microseasons or encouraging people to make their own as obviously we don’t have the same plants and wildlife as Japan. I am part of a group that encourages us to observe seasonal markers local to us.
That’s brilliant, I admit I didn’t look for any UK equivalents in my haste to write this post. I’ll do a follow up.
That is such a cool concept. I'm going to think about what that looks like for those of us in the southern hemisphere, I love the 72 microseasins
I do see your point, but our microseasons need to relate to here, this year, rather than Japan, sometime in memory. Each town is different, London on the Regents Canal is very different to Derby on the Derwent, and neither knows about the moors around the Roaches.
Thank you.
you are correct. Feel free to share your own 72 microseasons.
Thoroughly enjoyed this read and learning about the 72 microseasons. Through immense loss, I made a strong decision with my future to live a life of following the seasons. It brings me much peace and encouragement. Thank you for posting.