秋天同时意味着成熟和凋零。所以，所有民族的文学里，一方面会歌颂丰收和成熟，一方面会伤感生命的凋零。从初秋到深秋，生命先完成成熟的过程，然后再完成消亡的过程，直至回归冬天的静谧。
Autumn means both maturing and withering. So in the literature of all nations, people, on the one hand, sing for harvest and maturity and, on the other hand, sign for the ending of life. From early to late autumn, the process of maturing ends first and then the process of dying, until everything returns to the stillness of winter.
古代中国人的文化里，首先是秋天庆祝丰收的社日。秋社的时间定在立秋之后的第五个戊日。按照现在的时间算实际上是九月份。社是祭祀土地神的。感觉上应该就是现在的庙会差不多，祭祀上的活动大概类似团体表演。人们聚会、吃饭、互送礼品，这是节日的基本活动。
In the culture of the ancient Chinese people, there was the sacrifice day in autumn for celebrating bumper harvests. The time of autumn sacrifice was once set on the fifth Xu date after the solar term of Beginning of Autumn. Calculated in the Gregorian calendar, it fell roughly in the middle of September. The sacrifice was offered to the God of Earth. It might feel like a temple fair at present. The activities of the sacrifice rituals were more like a group performance. People had parties, enjoyed delicious food and gave each other presents. All these are basics for a festival.
中国古代的知识分子总是喜欢渲染秋天消极的一面。原因似乎有两方面。其一，古代人多不离开家乡。到家乡以外生活，旅行自然不如在家方便。到了秋季换季，往往需要联系家里邮寄衣物等等。自然也顺便写信互通消息，这时就有思乡的情感表达。其二，如果事业不算太成功，自己又上点年纪，就会感叹自己人生的收获不足，光阴虚度。如果又有寒风、冷雨、落叶，那么情绪会非常的低落。
In ancient times, Chinese intellectuals often wrote about the negative side of autumn. There are two reasons. First, ancient Chinese people rarely left hometown. When a person lives outside his hometown, travelling brought inconvenience to life, which might be easier in hometown. When autumn came, he needed to change clothes and often contacted his families to send them. And naturally he would write to communicate some messages and express his nostalgic feelings. Second, if he was not much successful in his career and was a bit aged, he will regret that he failed to earn proper achievements in his own life and his efforts were in vain. If there were chilly wind, cold rain and fallen leaves, he might fall into a rather low mood.
