Beginning of autumn is one of the "four seasons and eight festivals" in ancient times. There is a custom among the people to worship the land god and celebrate the harvest.
Beginning of autumn is not only an important solar term, but also an important New Year holiday. The customs in beginning of autumn include pasting autumn fat, eating autumn, basking in autumn and eating jiaozi. Autumn is also the harvest season, and there is a folk custom of offering sacrifices to the land gods.
At present, solar terms are determined according to the longitude of the sun. When the sun reaches longitude 135, it is beginning of autumn, and the time is from August 7th to 9th in Gregorian calendar every year.