By annelie-voyage.com
Indian Summer
By canusa.de
My favorite season has arrived! When the days are warm - almost like summer, but without the humidity. The nights are cool, guaranteeing a good night’s sleep. Most people call it an Indian Summer. And to make it even more pleasant, nature puts on a spectacular show of the Fall colors. What else is there to wish for?
So what is ‘The Indian Summer’? Why does it occur and what does it mean when we refer to it? The meteorologists describe it as a period of unseasonably warm weather in late October or early November in the central and eastern United States. When a cool polar air mass develops into a warm high-pressure center, it produces a stable air mass. Smoke and dust may stay near the ground if there is a temperature inversion, but the air can be crisp and clear as well. It should be a period that was preceded by a hard frost as well.
So what is ‘The Indian Summer’? Why does it occur and what does it mean when we refer to it? The meteorologists describe it as a period of unseasonably warm weather in late October or early November in the central and eastern United States. When a cool polar air mass develops into a warm high-pressure center, it produces a stable air mass. Smoke and dust may stay near the ground if there is a temperature inversion, but the air can be crisp and clear as well. It should be a period that was preceded by a hard frost as well.
The frequency, depth and length of the Indian Summer is generally dependent on geography. The eastern and central states of the U.S. have a suitable climate to create the necessary weather pattern. A wide variation of temperature and wind strength from Summer to Winter is necessary. And of course, many of those states have hardwood forests, so when the leaves begin to turn and the sun is shining, those trees show up well during Indian Summer, making that much more remarkable!
This weather pattern also occurs to some degree in Europe, although it seems most reliable in North America, due to geography and wind patterns. In Britain, it is called All Hallows Summer (around All Saint’s Day on November 1st) or Old Wives’ Summer (Altweibersommer in Germany). It may also be called St Luke’s Summer (about October 18th), St. Martins Summer (about November 11th). Indeed, there are many names for this all across Europe and South America. The nights are cool and the daytime temperatures are quite pleasant due to the cloudless skies. These vaguely similar weather events are remembered by everyone.
This weather pattern also occurs to some degree in Europe, although it seems most reliable in North America, due to geography and wind patterns. In Britain, it is called All Hallows Summer (around All Saint’s Day on November 1st) or Old Wives’ Summer (Altweibersommer in Germany). It may also be called St Luke’s Summer (about October 18th), St. Martins Summer (about November 11th). Indeed, there are many names for this all across Europe and South America. The nights are cool and the daytime temperatures are quite pleasant due to the cloudless skies. These vaguely similar weather events are remembered by everyone.
Although it is not reliably known how the term was coined. It is said that the term ‘Indian Summer’ is referring to North American Indians. The term Indian Summer was first recorded in “Letters from an American Farmer” in 1778. The author, a French-American soldier, was Michel-Guillame-Jean de Crevecoeur. He wrote:
"Then a severe frost succeeds which prepares it to receive the voluminous coat of snow which is soon to follow; though it is often preceded by a short interval of smoke and mildness, called the Indian Summer."
"Then a severe frost succeeds which prepares it to receive the voluminous coat of snow which is soon to follow; though it is often preceded by a short interval of smoke and mildness, called the Indian Summer."
We may assume that as he refers to it as the term used for the phenomenon, it was already in widespread use locally. Indeed the popular Old Farmer’s Almanac - a compendium of American folklore and country wisdom in print since 1792, has a video (https://www.almanac.com/video/juds-journal-indian-summer) saying that the origin of the term arose when the original European settlers in America had to re-man their settlement barricades to defend against renewed Indian attacks. According to the video, the natives generally suspended their attacks when the weather became colder, but tried one more time when the weather temporarily improved.
It is perhaps more plausibly explained by the Natives’ practices of harvesting their crops and setting fires to clear the land for Spring planting - hence the hazy, dusty atmosphere cited in many definitions of Indian Summer.
When the term arrived in England in the 18th century, it caused some confusion. It was assumed the Indian subcontinent was meant. Afterall, it was at the height of the British empire in India and trade was booming. It took some time to realize that the Native Americans were the reference. The English already had names for this weather phenomenon, like St. Luke’s Summer, St. Martin’s Summer or All-Hallows Summer. All these terms have faded away - as in the rest of the world. The term Indian Summer has been most commonly used.
When the term arrived in England in the 18th century, it caused some confusion. It was assumed the Indian subcontinent was meant. Afterall, it was at the height of the British empire in India and trade was booming. It took some time to realize that the Native Americans were the reference. The English already had names for this weather phenomenon, like St. Luke’s Summer, St. Martin’s Summer or All-Hallows Summer. All these terms have faded away - as in the rest of the world. The term Indian Summer has been most commonly used.
Although the exact origin of Indian Summer is not known, the term is used to mean the Fall spectacle of the colors in the Northeast of the United States, accompanied by mild weather. It is also used, now less accurately, to describe any bout of warm weather in the Fall.
Sometimes it has been used metaphorically, and it has found its way into the literature for describing more than nature. In American literature, Indian Summer was used more and more apart from weather. It has been used to describe the arc of a career, but with an unexpected burst of creativity before the end. Also, any unexpected flowering period followed by a decline. Thomas De Quincey wrote “An Indian summer crept stealthily over his closing days.” This spoke to a late vigor (energy) before the end.
It had been used in the last century pejoratively to describe something that was not what it appeared and would soon fade or revert back to something less desirable. The term ‘Indian giver’ (someone who would want to take a gift back or expect something in return) was associated with it as far back as 1906.
I have ‘baby boomer’ friends in the U.S., who grew up in the 1950’s and 60’s, who remember regularly accusing childhood friends, who tried to take back favors as ‘Indian Givers’. It was an insult and an admonition. It was meant to say that you were not acting fairly!
Sometimes it has been used metaphorically, and it has found its way into the literature for describing more than nature. In American literature, Indian Summer was used more and more apart from weather. It has been used to describe the arc of a career, but with an unexpected burst of creativity before the end. Also, any unexpected flowering period followed by a decline. Thomas De Quincey wrote “An Indian summer crept stealthily over his closing days.” This spoke to a late vigor (energy) before the end.
It had been used in the last century pejoratively to describe something that was not what it appeared and would soon fade or revert back to something less desirable. The term ‘Indian giver’ (someone who would want to take a gift back or expect something in return) was associated with it as far back as 1906.
I have ‘baby boomer’ friends in the U.S., who grew up in the 1950’s and 60’s, who remember regularly accusing childhood friends, who tried to take back favors as ‘Indian Givers’. It was an insult and an admonition. It was meant to say that you were not acting fairly!
But now, more commonly, it has been used to describe a period of renewed life and vigor, after an expected decline had begun. It has been used for example to describe a popular actor’s resurgent career after a long period of unpopularity. It has been used to evince a time of hope, before the inevitable decline of old age or the ravages of disease, an awakening of spirit just before the end. It found its way into “Doctor Zhivago”, where it was used to describe the unseasonably warm weather leading up to the Great October Socialist Revolution.
Most commonly though, it is used to describe the typical, temporary influx of beautifully warm weather that comes in late October or early November. So just enjoy it before the Winter winds return! Enjoy! We don’t have to be dramatic about it.
Most commonly though, it is used to describe the typical, temporary influx of beautifully warm weather that comes in late October or early November. So just enjoy it before the Winter winds return! Enjoy! We don’t have to be dramatic about it.
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