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Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice – Why Autumn is one of the Best Seasons

The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Queen's U chapter.

Let’s admit it, one of our favourite seasons has arrived.

Every season has its perks: Spring brings along a fresh start, Summer is a hell of a good time, and Winter is the season of joy, love and frost. Fall, however, holds a special place amongst the seasons. It’s the most mellow season which brings a sort of melancholy along with it. It’s the season most well known for better fashion, pumpkin spice, and spending some quality time with our loved ones.

Change

“Autumn killed the summer with the softest kiss” is probably one of my favourite quotes which can be used to express the subtle changes that come along with Autumn. The hot summer days slowly turn into cool days with crisp nights, giving us some relief from the heat. But amongst all of the changes that Fall brings, the changing colours of leaves has got to be everyone’s favourite sight to see.

I honestly think it’s a gift that every year we get to see such a magical transformation of nature around us. Being able to see the leaves turn from various shades of green, to deep hues of red, orange, yellow, and brown is so stunning. And of course, we can’t forget the unmatchable feeling that comes with stepping into a pile of crisp leaves on the ground—that’s got to be one of the best sounds… like ever.

Irish Setter puppy in fall leaves
Original photo by Caeleigh MacInnis

Fashion

Autumn ushers in some of the best fashion outfits a person can find.

From new jackets to tracksuits to fancy dresses, scarves and skirts, Fall really lets you get creative with your fashion choices.

Of course, I’m sure we all love to dress up from time to time, but who doesn’t love wearing comfy clothing? I personally like that, with this season, you can even manage to style together a fancy-ish lazy fall outfit, like ripped jeans with a cute sweater, scarf, sneakers or even booties. On the flip side, some track pants, a crop top, sneakers and a jean jacket don’t look too bad together either.

Gilmore Girls walking through Fall Festival
Warner Bros. Television

Movies

Let’s admit it, there’s nothing that’ll put you in the mood for Fall quicker than Fall movies.

Some of my personal favourite movies that I’d recommend watching to put you in the mood for Autumn (in no specific order) are: Mean Girls, Coraline, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Autumn in New York, The Edge of Seventeen, and The Breakfast Club—one of my all-time favourites.

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PARAMOUNT PICTURES

Food and Drinks

What would Autumn be without a variety of hearty meals, delicious drinks, and flavorful desserts?

Fall is full of amazing meals, as well as my personal favourite, seasonal flavour: pumpkin spice.

One of my favourite meals definitely has to be Thanksgiving dinner. A traditional Canadian Thanksgiving meal is definitely one of the heartiest things someone can eat. A turkey with gravy, sweet potatoes, squash, cranberry sauce, pumpkin, yams and more can be jammed onto one plate for a filling Thanksgiving meal.

To make it extra Canadian, you could serve dinner with a Maple Glazed Turkey rather than a regular one. Yup, it’s a Canadian thing.

Thanksgiving

Tying into the traditional Thanksgiving meal, I’m sure you can tell that I celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving, which traditionally falls on the second Monday of October. This is one of my favourite holidays, right next to Christmas, because it brings up such a warm feeling.

Canada has it’s own history, separate from that of America’s hence why Canadians celebrate thanksgiving a month before Americans do. The Parliament of Canada officially declares Thanksgiving as “a day of general thanksgiving to almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed.” While this mandate for Thanksgiving may not be observed by all Canadians, the general ideas of being thankful for our blessings in the past year, spending time with our loved ones, and sharing a delicious meal still remain.

Halloween

The spookiest holiday of them all.

For those of you who maybe don’t know much about Halloween, this holiday originated from the Celtic Festival of Samhain, where people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts.

Today, Halloween has transformed into something which would be unrecognizable to those who celebrated this holiday centuries ago. Through the years, this holiday has been influenced heavily by European myths, American consumerism, and even Christianity.

Halloween, the contraction of All Hallows’ Eve, is celebrated on the evening before All Saints’ (or All Hallows’) Day. The celebration marks the day before the Western Christian feast of All Saints and initiates the season of Allhallowtide, which lasts three days and concludes with All Souls’ Day.

Quite an interesting history for a holiday where we just dress up and ask for candy, huh?

All in all, Fall is most definitely one of the most beautiful seasons, not just for the changes it brings in nature, but for the bonding it allows us to have with our friends, family, and ourselves.

Emma Keyes

Queen's U '24

Emma is studying English Language and Literature at Queen's University. She enjoys the arts, and is a sucker for all things romantic.