September to December: The Many Faces of the Ber Months
How cultures dance between Yin and Yang through the Ber Months worldwide
The Ber Months have arrived. 🎄
Every September, as the last heat of summer lingers, my husband grins and says:
“It’s September now. That means we can play Christmas music, right?”
Of course, I always knew that September, October, November, and December all end with -ber. That much is obvious.
But what surprised me was the way these months are sometimes grouped together and even given a name: the Ber Months.
At first, I thought it was just a playful phrase my husband had made up.
To my surprise, the phrase is real. While not commonly used in everyday English in the West, it is instantly recognized in the Philippines, where September marks the official start of the Christmas season.
What began as a family joke opened the door to an unexpected journey: how different societies mark time, and how those rhythms shape the way we live and connect.
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