Our visit to the
United States of America-6
Autumn or Fall in
Boston
I and my wife are lucky to have witnessed
the eye-catching ‘foliage colour change’ in Boston and surroundings, in this
time of the year, that is September-October 2019. This is ‘autumn’, one of the
four temperate seasons, also known as ‘fall’ in the northern American region.
Autumn marks the transition from
summer to winter, in September (northern hemisphere) or March (southern
hemisphere), when the duration of day becomes slightly shorter and the
temperature drops down noticeably. One of the significant and most recognisable
changes in this temperate climatic region is the changing colour of foliages
and eventually shedding of leaves from deciduous trees. For us, this is a most spectacular
sight in the surroundings, with the tree foliages changing colour from green to
yellow and then to orange-red. As we took several sorties between Boston and
New Hampshire and surroundings, all along on either side of the roads, it was a
picturesque sight to watch the changing colour of the foliages. I have no words
to explain; it’s simply a delightful sight...! We watched this colour change in
leaves very carefully, in our daily morning walks. It was not all of a sudden
but a steady process...; leaves of tall trees, small bushes and shrubs;
everything changes colour...
Leaves are generally green due to
chlorophyll pigments. As the temperature falls in autumn, as a protective
measure, chlorophyll pigments breakdown and leaves turn yellow, purple or red
due to appearance of other pigments such as anthocyanins. That is, different
colours in leaves are due to change in pigments. Eventually trees shed the
leaves in extreme cold winter.
Autumn is associated with many events,
films, poetry and festivities. Halloween or autumn festival is being one of
them. We saw everywhere pumpkins being displayed or sold as part of the Halloween
festival which will be on 31 October every year. As we are leaving back to India, indeed we
will miss this festival....
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