Guide

The Four Seasons: Dates, Causes and Facts

The four seasons, why they happen (the tilt of the Earth), the dates in the Northern Hemisphere, how the Southern Hemisphere is the opposite and a very common myth.

By Polarzinho · October 20, 2026

In Brazil, Christmas falls in summer. In the United States and Europe, in winter. It may look like a calendar mix-up, but it is Earth working exactly as it should: when it is summer here, it is winter up north, and the other way around.

Here you get the four seasons, why they happen, the approximate dates, how the hemispheres differ and a very common myth many people still believe.

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The four seasons

Spring: plants bloom and days get longer.
Summer: the warmest season, with the longest days.
Fall (autumn): it cools down slowly and many trees drop their leaves.
Winter: the coldest season, with the shortest days.

Why we have seasons

Seasons happen because Earth's axis is tilted, about 23.5°, compared with its orbit around the Sun. As the planet goes around, first the Northern Hemisphere and then the Southern Hemisphere leans more toward the Sun.

When a hemisphere gets the Sun's rays more "head-on", and for more hours, it is summer.
When it gets the rays more "sideways", and for fewer hours, it is winter.

Myth: it is not about distance from the Sun

Many people think it is summer when Earth is closest to the Sun. It is not. Earth is closest to the Sun around early January, when it is winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern.

Approximate dates in the Northern Hemisphere

Spring: begins around March 20.
Summer: begins around June 21.
Fall: begins around September 22 or 23.
Winter: begins around December 21.

The dates shift a little from year to year. They mark the solstices (the longest and shortest days) and the equinoxes (day and night of equal length).

And in the Southern Hemisphere?

Fall: begins around March 20.
Winter: begins around June 21.
Spring: begins around September 22 or 23.
Summer: begins around December 21.

Near the Equator, the climate is different

Near the Equator, the temperature barely changes through the year. Instead of four seasons, many regions have just two: a rainy season and a dry season.

Different climates in Puttide

Puttide, the 3D browser mini golf, has courses with very different looks: ice islands, lava rock and palm-tree beaches. It is a nice way to imagine different climates in a single round.