The four seasons

The four seasons are spring, summer, fall, and winter, and although various areas of the United States experience drastically different weather during these times, all portions of the country recognize the seasons; winter in California may bring heat, and winter in New York may bring blizzards, but both periods are nevertheless winter.

Following winter, spring begins on 20 March and ends on either 20 June or 21 June, in the United States (this date may vary slightly from year to year and hemisphere to hemisphere). For most, spring is a time of "thawing," when the cold and snow of the winter are replaced by sunshine, reasonable temperatures, green grass, and more. It is also the season wherein previously dormant bees and butterflies reemerge, and when birds become more active.

Summer follows spring and spans from about 21 June to 22 September, in America. Summer is the warmest, the longest, and (arguably) the liveliest of the four seasons; students from kindergarten to college are given two or so summer months off from class, and to be sure, there are more young individuals out and about during this season than any other. It's not uncommon to see shorts, t-shirts, and sunglasses worn by those who're soaking up the summer's hot sun, and to stay cool, many individuals crank the air conditioning, take a dip in a swimming pool, and/or explore the ever-comforting ocean waves.

Autumn (or fall), more than being a simple precursor to winter, is one of the most beautiful and exciting seasons. Spanning from 22 September to 21 December (technically, that is; snow will begin to fall long before this latter date, in most parts of the country, leading many to classify the period as winter) in the US, autumn is characterized by falling leaves, Halloween (on 31 October), and Thanksgiving. During fall, traditional farmers harvest their produce, and the aforementioned falling leaves change to gorgeous orange, red, and yellow colors; these colors are generally associated with autumn itself, in turn.

In the US, winter spans from 21 December to 20 March, and is, as one would expect, the coldest of the four seasons. In the eastern, northern, and central portions of the country, winter snowfall can be considerable; in the western and southern portions of the country, winter snowfall is highly unlikely, but temperatures nevertheless drop from their usual. Winter is most widely known for its snow and the Christmas holiday, but it also boasts New Year's Eve (on December 31, in recognition of the start of a new year) and other special days. Ice skating, sledding, ice hockey, and snowball fights are commonly enjoyed winter activities.

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