The thought of warming up apple cider and looking for a pumpkin to carve is something to I can't wait for. Digging out my Halloween decor and having pumpkin muffins baking in the kitchen is one of my favorite things to do. Since Florida doesn't have that transition into fall, those little things are my fall. I can care less about the Pumpkin Spice latte from Starbucks or the Count Chocola cereal although if those things are your thing, then go on with your bad self. In Orlando, we have Halloween Horror Nights where the spooks are around every corner and horror enthusiasts come out of hibernation. If fall is your favorite season, you aren't alone.
To those who love the other seasons more, this isn't for you. Fall is a magical time of the year. We see the changes in the weather and we sense the crisp chill in the air (in some places earlier than others). Fall is the start of the Holiday season and I love the holidays. Halloween is my favorite holiday because it celebrates ancestry and spirits. I also love being about to dress up like a weirdo and it is considered "normal". The thought of apple, cinnamon, and pumpkin-flavored things are coming make me excited for the season. Although I eat pumpkin bread in all seasons, it is special during the fall.
Although Halloween is the best holiday ever, we can't forget Thanksgiving. Yes, Thanksgiving has a dark history but how I look at it is that I eat a large meal with my family that I don't get to see very often and we are forced to talk about what we are thankful for. Symbolisms surrounding the meal are often wrong and there is a perspective that we don't often take into account. I love the feeling of being together with both of my families on a day during the year where it isn't the normal family drama. Fall has that healing magic that is close to my heart. Christmas doesn't beat Halloween in my book. You can keep Santa and his elves on your side and I'll take my pumpkins, witches, and skeletons on my side.
It is becoming a trend to love fall as much as the other parts of the holiday season, but there is those of us that have loved it the majority of our lives. I grew up with having the good witch take my Halloween candy to trade it for a prize for my brothers and I. So in a way, I had presents during the spooky holiday. The fact that Thanksgiving has Black Friday following was and is still an excuse to bring my family together for a huge shopping trip is my favorite part of the year. It forces my family to be together even though its through shopping. If you love fall as much as I do, then you found a friend in me.