The name September is derived from the old Roman word “Septem” meaning seventh, because earlier, September was the seventh month in the Roman calendar. The Romans also called the month of September the “Haefest Monath”, meaning the harvest month, as this was the time when they harvested barley to be made into their favourite drink. There was also another bizarre belief of the Romans attached with the month of September. They believed that September was ruled by God Vulcan, the God of fire and forge, and associated this month with fires and earthquakes. During these times, colour was an integral part of life and each aspect of life was linked with some colours, which had their own symbolic meaning. The month of September was then associated with the colour reddish brown, as both these colours rightly represented the sense of renewal that comes with harvest. Thus, the worshippers tried to incorporate these colours into their celebrations.
Brown is a colour associated with protection, support, belonging and responsibility. In colour psychology, brown stands for material security and relates to a comfortable home, realism and dependency. Thus, it rightly signifies the harvest month of September. This is because the harvesting season is the most important event in the lives of farmers, and their family life depends wholly on the quality of the harvest. The colour brown was and still is associated with natural and organic produce, along with agriculture and farming. The linking of brown and September was a prudent choice; it denoted the materialistic dependence on this month by the people during that period.
Red, being the other colour associated with this month, stood for the belief that the God of fire controlled this month. Red is the most primal of all colours, symbolising man’s will to survive against all odds. When seen in the context of turbulence expected in this month, it was an appropriate colour to choose. Red, on its own, can lead to a frenzy of actions but when tempered with brown, it can stand for thoughtful and controlled actions, as required during a harvest season. This time does require an active state of being but overt activeness was believed to do harm rather than helping. So, it makes sense to curb the extreme intensity of red with the more practical and realistic inclinations of brown.
September, a month of revelry with caution, beckons to the stable and the untameable side of you, simultaneously. Go give in to the urge of madness but with your feet firmly planted on the ground!
