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Seasons


Mr Lost

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We get our Christmas/New Year holidays and summer holidays all over at the same time. It seems far more efficient that the strange Northern Hemisphere practice of having summer in the middle of the calendar year!

 

The only time I've come across any sort of confusion with the differences between hemispheres' seasons is amongst some pagan friends. They're never sure whether to celebrate the spring and autumn equinoxes at the traditional times or at the correct seasons!

Oh, and we do tend to sing about "dashing through the snow/in a one-horse open sleigh" when it's blazing hot outside!

 

(BTW, a glossary into American: holiday=vacation, autumn=fall, pagan=Godless weirdo)

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I know, I know, this is not even remotely geocaching related, but I do geocache, so that ought to count for something.

 

My wife is a teacher, and we were wondering it Aussies call this time of year 'Winter' even though this is the warmer time of year there. :D

 

You were only joking, right ?

 

Out of interest, what does you wife teach ?

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I know, I know, this is not even remotely geocaching related, but I do geocache, so that ought to count for something.

 

My wife is a teacher, and we were wondering it Aussies call this time of year 'Winter' even though this is the warmer time of year there. :D

 

You were only joking, right ?

 

Out of interest, what does you wife teach ?

 

Why would it be a joke? If seasons are calender based then we are all the same but we freeze in the winter and you guys would be running around in shorts. If it's based on growing seasons then they would be opposite. Assuming it's common knowledge doesn't make it commonly known. Just assumed. Nobody ever told me they were opposite. I've assumed it and never been corrected.

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Why would it be a joke? If seasons are calender based then we are all the same but we freeze in the winter and you guys would be running around in shorts. If it's based on growing seasons then they would be opposite. Assuming it's common knowledge doesn't make it commonly known. Just assumed. Nobody ever told me they were opposite. I've assumed it and never been corrected.

 

We call this time of the year Summer, just like every other Southern-Hemisphere English speaking country.

 

Renegade Knight some of your assumptions were correct. Summer Northern-Hemisphere = Winter Southern-Hemisphere.

Seasons aren't Calendar based. The opposite in fact. The Gregorian Calandar which most of us use is a modification of the Julian Calandar which was created to follow the seasons. Took a while to get it right too. Bit of history here if you are interested: http://www.geocities.com/calendopaedia/julian.htm

 

We do occasionally get snow in the Alpine areas in the middle of (our) Summer though! http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2006/12/....html?from=top5

Edited by Damo.
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We have four seasons but none of them are called "fall".

 

We also start our seasons on the 1st of the month, so 1 December is the start of summer, then autumn 3 months later, followed by winder in June, July, August and then spring.

 

Christmas in Melbourne this year was 16 degrees C which is about half of what it usually is, so we were all wrapped up inside with the heater on rather than out in the poool in the glorious cancer causing sun.

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We get our Christmas/New Year holidays and summer holidays all over at the same time. It seems far more efficient that the strange Northern Hemisphere practice of having summer in the middle of the calendar year!

 

The only time I've come across any sort of confusion with the differences between hemispheres' seasons is amongst some pagan friends. They're never sure whether to celebrate the spring and autumn equinoxes at the traditional times or at the correct seasons!

Oh, and we do tend to sing about "dashing through the snow/in a one-horse open sleigh" when it's blazing hot outside!

 

(BTW, a glossary into American: holiday=vacation, autumn=fall, pagan=Godless weirdo)

 

No problem with the Pagan festivals. They are all seasonally based. The sabatt we celebrated last week in the southern hemisphere was Litha, or the Summer Solstice. Northern hemisphere pagans would be celebrating Yule, or the Winter Festival. May Day, or Beltane, that's celebrated on the last day of October down here, but up there, yes it's in May.

 

I'm guessing that a large part of the confusion from northern hemisphere dwellers is due to the world revolving around them (I don't mean that in a nasty way). You guys wouldn't see much southern hemisphere TV or practice many southern hemisphere traditions. It's just not the way the world works. I think that Australians take for granted the knowledge that the seasons are reversed and asume that everyone would know that. When you think about the Australian history, we were settled by people from the north, so the knowledge of the difference is over 200 years old here.

 

Yes, I laughed when I read the question too, especially when I compared it to my teacher President, but then when I thought about why the question might need to be asked, it kinda made sense.

 

1st lady

PS it's summer here atm!

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Oh, and just in case you're wondering, it's night time here atm too. It's 10.00 o'clock on the presidential clock.

 

1st lady

 

M'Lady, is your clock similar to the Playschool Clock?

A little, although the hands move on their own, it doesn't play music, it doesn't turn around to reveal it's face and there is no announcement prior to looking at it. <_<

 

1st lady

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It's been two days, but I still can't fathom that the question has been asked.

 

Next you'll be asking what happens to the leaves on our trees if we don't have fall?? (Coz we don't - no fall in our seasons...)

 

Strangely enough, there's a whole heap of countries don't do things the US way.

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It's been two days, but I still can't fathom that the question has been asked.

 

Next you'll be asking what happens to the leaves on our trees if we don't have fall?? (Coz we don't - no fall in our seasons...)

 

Strangely enough, there's a whole heap of countries don't do things the US way.

 

Yeah, but they dont count. After all, for a country that hosts so many "World" championships, EG World Series Baseball, there is no where else, unless you count aliens.

 

Now, how do you spell ALUMINIUM???

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It's been two days, but I still can't fathom that the question has been asked.

 

Next you'll be asking what happens to the leaves on our trees if we don't have fall?? (Coz we don't - no fall in our seasons...)

 

Strangely enough, there's a whole heap of countries don't do things the US way.

 

Yeah, At least they don't have to hold their GPSr's upside down to make them work when they go caching.

The yanks can probably just walk around looking down at their screens without having to hold them above their heads looking at the upside down screen.

BTW I've heard Garmin are bringing out a model with the screen on the back so you can just flip it upside down and just look at the screen when caching in Australia. They are also going to fix up the hunting guide to deal with the sun rising in the west which is about time if you ask me.

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oh I'm up too late again chatting to my NHemi friends! anyway we DO see the MOON UP THE OTHER WAY (and the constellations are on their heads too i think relatively speaking. Someone please tell me?)

 

If you search out the web there are 6 seasons in the aboriginal calendars - none of which are called 'winter' naturally and I imagine your wife must be a well trained teacher who never calls any question 'stupid' or whatever the term is we are avoiding - we have asked many of the same ilk in the NASA forums including where does your compass point on the moon? (and no one shot back at your magnetic boots!) Will my GPS work on the moon? and so on...

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Why would it be a joke? If seasons are calender based then we are all the same but we freeze in the winter and you guys would be running around in shorts. If it's based on growing seasons then they would be opposite. Assuming it's common knowledge doesn't make it commonly known. Just assumed. Nobody ever told me they were opposite. I've assumed it and never been corrected.

 

Ignorance is no excuse.

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Sorry, I can't help meself. I have just encountered this thread and am dumstruck at the ignorance of my fellow Australians ;)

Surely anyone who has lived down under for any length of time must realise things don't work the same down here. The water does swirl the wrong way down the toilet, the hottest days do occur during winter and the fourth of July is celebrated by Aussies downloading YouTube videos of Americans trying to blow themselves up with fireworks ;)

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Now, how do you spell ALUMINIUM???

No, you should ask "How do you SAY aluminium?"

Like this maybe? A-LOOMY-NUMB? I prefer the correct version.

How about PLUTONIUM or URANIUM? ;)

 

How about INEXTRICABLE QUAGMIRE :anitongue:

 

I think that's spelt I-R-A-Q. But that's another story....

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I have to say this thread is starting to show us Aussies as a pack of meanies making fun of americans - just because of a question - at least he had the guts to ask..I know at times I have asked what seems a stupid question to others - but something I didn't know and wanted to find out.

 

What a way to make a guy never want to visit Australia and tell all his mates what a pack of d**kheads we are. I mean sure some of the things people have asked me make me wonder and have a giggle with fellow Aussies, but I would never so openly make the person feel stupid..and I would hope they would show me the same respect.

 

*getting off my high stool*

 

Shellby (Ma Hylton)

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I know, I know, this is not even remotely geocaching related, but I do geocache, so that ought to count for something.

 

My wife is a teacher, and we were wondering it Aussies call this time of year 'Winter' even though this is the warmer time of year there. :laughing:

 

My first post so I hope it works!

 

This is definately called summer here. We are in one of the worst droughts since records started and all States have Level 3 (Level 4 is the highest) water restrictions - ie can only use sprinkers for 3 hours a week on a Saturday or Sunday night.

 

The temperature in Adelaide (where I am) is currently 36 centigrade and the next few days will be over 40.

 

Roll on our winter....

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Now, how do you spell ALUMINIUM???

 

No, you should ask "How do you SAY aluminium?"

Like this maybe? A-LOOMY-NUMB? I prefer the correct version.

How about PLUTONIUM or URANIUM? :laughing:

To be pedantic, the discoverer of "aluminium" originally called it "aluminum" (which is what Americans call it). He later renamed it "aluminium" (which is what the rest of the world call it). If you want to be picky, ask why "leiutenant" is pronounced "loo-tenant" instead of "lef-tenant"?

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To be pedantic, the discoverer of "aluminium" originally called it "aluminum" (which is what Americans call it). He later renamed it "aluminium" (which is what the rest of the world call it).

 

Actually, he first called it "Alumium", before deciding to change it 4 years later.

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To be pedantic, the discoverer of "aluminium" originally called it "aluminum" (which is what Americans call it). He later renamed it "aluminium" (which is what the rest of the world call it).

 

Actually, he first called it "Alumium", before deciding to change it 4 years later.

I knew that! It's just that I've got one of those keyboards that print what I type instead of what I mean!

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Yeah, At least they don't have to hold their GPSr's upside down to make them work when they go caching.

 

 

Thanks for mentioning that. My daughter will be visiting Australia next summer, no - winter, no - next JUNE, (whew!) and she will need to remember to hold the GPSr above her head, right?

 

You Aussies are a HOOT. I sure wish I could go with her to enjoy your keen senses of humor. I'll keep an eye on this thread and ask for some cache suggestions when we have a detailed itinerary. Thanks for the laugh.

-Laura of Outrageous Fortunes

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...Strangely enough, there's a whole heap of countries don't do things the US way.

Oddly enough the question would be the same if it was a Canadian teacher.

 

Actually I used to live in Canada, they actually teach their kids relevant stuff.

 

The question asked by the OP can be found on many geographic sites.

 

Assuming that the seasons are calendar based is just ignorant. I don't claim to know everything but have got a good handle on the basics. This stuff was taught to me at school. I have a special device attached to my GPSr (that was purchased in Canada) that turns the map the right way round.

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...Assuming that the seasons are calendar based is just ignorant. ...

 

The question was valid and got a lot of smarmy stupid answers instead of "Yes the seasons are reversed so summer is hot and winter cold". It would not have been beyond belieft to have keep it the same so summer was the same time of year north and south. Similar to the logic of why Alaska has less time zones than it 'should'.

 

Of course while you were busy learning these relevant things, it would appear they forgot to teach you other more important thing things. I'd like to think I can ask an Aussie something even if it's stupid, just to be clear, rather than have been taught how to call others ignorant for asking.

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