What is sensommer?
Sensommer translates literally to "late summer" in English, and it’s a fairly accurate translation, although the concept refers to more than just the date.
The sensommer period falls in August and early September, when the weather is still often warm but the days are gradually getting shorter, and there's a gradual shift towards autumn.
This distinguishes it from seasons in other countries, perhaps, where you wouldn’t really think of August as being part of anything other than "proper" summer.
It can be a useful term, though – there’s a noticeable change in the air, the quality of the light and even the colour of the vegetation the further you get into August. This gives the month more in common with September than it has with June, so the mid-August to mid-September period is arguably worthy of its separate 'subseason' status.
Why do I need to know sensommer?
Traditionally, sensommer is associated with late-summer activities like harvesting and enjoying outdoor social gatherings for perhaps the last time before the cold, wet days of autumn set in, sending everyone into their enclosed spaces (socially as well as physically) for the winter.
By the time August switches to September on the calendar, outdoor events like music festivals have finished for the year.
But summer might not be a distant memory just yet. Often, early to mid September will bring about hot weather, making up for an almost inevitable disappointment over the weather during the “real” summer months and resulting in media proclaiming the return of the summer for one last hurrah, and everyone going back outside in their shorts and sandals.
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