How do you know it is autumn in Israel

Photo credit: James Hawkins

We do not pull on our sweaters just yet.

It’s more the scent of fresh wine and the squeals of wild boar that signal autumn’s arrival in Israel.
Here, the weather has two modes: rain and not rain.
When it rains in Israel, it’s cold. The rest of the time, we either boil in the heat or simmer under it. Our summers technically last nine months, and they’re not what you’d call “cool.”
If the rain doesn’t come, the heat lingers, and lingers, and lingers ... making our long summers endless. Most of us still wear sandals and shorts well into October.
How do you know it’s autumn in Israel if the temperature doesn’t cool down. There are a few subtle signs that summer is slowly coming to an end:

The Sea Squill Blooms
These flowers bloom around September and last for three to four weeks. Their beautiful white heads stand tall, stretching defiantly against the dry, dusty landscape.

Ripening Pomegranates
Pomegranates swell and ripen towards the end of summer, showing up in food and supermarkets just in time for Rosh HaShanah, the Jewish New Year. Traditionally, Jews eat pomegranates during the holiday, praying for a year filled with as many good deeds as there are seeds in the fruit.

The Grape Harvest
The last of the grapes are picked—some to eat, others for the local wineries. The large Carmel winery in Zichron Yaakov, near my home, fills the air with the smell of fermenting grapes. In the past, the winery would dump its tithe—the portion set aside for the priests—onto the street. The temple in Jerusalem has been destroyed a long time ago and there are no more priests who need the wine for the temple's ceremonies.

During the grape harvest, it’s not unusual to hear, and occasionally see, wild boar near the winery, startling passersby with their (possibly drunken?) squeals.

I've personally seen how a mother boar taught her babies to slip under a wine container in order to sip, from a small opening, left-over juice.

Falling Leaves
Though most of Israel’s native trees, like olive, carob, cypress, and fig, are evergreen, there are trees that shed their leaves. These dry, brittle leaves, falling during the hot autumn days, only add to the relentless dust and continuous heat.

The Jewish Holidays
Autumn brings Rosh HaShanah and Sukkot, with the latter also known as "Chag HaAsif," or the Festival of the Ingathering, celebrating the final harvest of the year. Many countries mark the last harvest of the season, and in Israel—a land with a rich agricultural history—religious holidays naturally align with the rhythms of the fields. Passover, for instance, isn’t just a celebration of the Exodus from Egypt but also marks the arrival of spring. Shavuot commemorates the receiving of the Torah, as well as the first harvest of the season.

The Olive Harvest
Late autumn in Israel is the time of the “masik,” or the olive harvest. Olives contain the most oil just as they begin to ripen. By late October, you’ll often see people gathering olives from trees around the neighborhood. It’s said that the best time to harvest is after the first rain, to wash away the dust. But if the rains are late, the olives are picked, dust and all.

Here in Israel we may not break out our boots, scarves, and jerseys in the autumn. The land itself quietly signals that winter is coming. Whether it’ll be a cold one, we’ll only know when, or if the winter rains arrive.

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