I remember one time in the fall my second grade class walked about 10 minutes to my teacher’s backyard and picked granny smith apple. Afterwards, one of the moms brought a big pot of caramel sauce; we got to dip our apples in the pot and then eat them. Activities like that embody what it means to be in the fall season. In Minnesota, fall happens so quickly. I mean one day it was like 70 degrees and sunny. The next morning when I woke up, the leaves were already on the ground and it was 45 degrees outside (okay, so I may be exaggerating but my point still stands). But it’s not just the temperature that indicates the season, it’s also the shift in the culture. For example, coffee shops start selling their pumpkin spiced drinks, pumpkin patches and apple orchards open, and Target starts selling its Halloween candy. There are iconic fall activities that people just have to do but so many more activities are just left unknown to people.
One of my favorite underrated fall activities is having a bonfire. We all assume that bonfires are just for the summer, but trust me, a bonfire in the fall just feels right. I mean in the fall it gets a little colder so the bonfire actually warms me up. But on top of that, sitting outside in a cardigan with my friends just chilling and warming up by the bonfire feels amazing. I think fall bonfires should be just as common as summer bonfires. In the fall, it gets darker earlier so people can start their fires earlier and just enjoy the bright orange flames throughout the night. It is a peaceful feeling. The weather may feel colder in the fall but the bonfire in some way, protects me from the cold. Some of my best memories come from bonfires in the fall.
Something that I’ve never tried but I really want to is using pumpkins as bowls and eating out of them. Just like how Panera Bread has bread bowls with their soup, you’d use a smaller pumpkin as a bowl. I’ve seen pictures of this a few times but I definitely think we should make this a more common practice. You would first cut off the top of the pumpkin and then scoop out the insides of the pumpkin. After all that work, you could make some nice soup and eat it in a pumpkin.
Lastly, one of the most underrated fruits of the fall in America is the pomegranate. I mean for me, pomegranates have always been a staple in my family. But I’ve seen many of my American friends not know how to eat them. Pomegranates only grow in the mid fall to early winter. It may be a lot of labor to get all of the seeds ready but it is SO worth. I love eating pomegranates with some salt. Because Pomegranates are not native to America, they are a bit costly but they are so delicious. It’s a little sweet and a little salty, the perfect combo.
Overall, despite all the classic fall activities, I think people should venture out and try new things. Eat a new fruit that’s native to the fall season or eat out of one. Life is too short to just be doing the same fall activities over and over again.