By Rowen Sullivan, Staff Writer
With the first rain of the season on October 10, people have begun to hope that fall has finally arrived.
Why the held breath for dead leaves and brisk weather? Not only does the blistering heat subside in this season, it is also a time where people bring out their cozy sweaters from storage, and where ovens are fired up to bake fresh desserts. Fall scents, like pumpkin and brown sugar, drift through homes and stores, complimented by warm music. Fall is such a beloved season because of the rich flavors, outside excursions, and the soulful feelings it inspires.
Everyone knows that it’s truly fall when Starbucks announces the return of their fall menu. On August 25, pumpkin spice chai, pecan crunch lattes, pumpkin muffins, and hedgehog cake pops could be found once again at the local Starbucks. It is a season where people return to studying in coffee shops and cafes, enjoying the aesthetic of productivity, and writing papers while sipping hot tea. In homes, cinnamon rolls and french toast make their reappearance for breakfast and soups grace the dinner table once again.
Towards the end of September through October, it is prime apple picking season. People flock to the orchards, climbing ladders to relieve branches laden with honeycrisps. They go home with full baskets to make apple pie and cider. During this time, pumpkin patches are reopened. Many rush to don sweaters and beanies, posing for pictures on hay bales, surrounded by bright orange pumpkins on the ground and holding them in their hands.
October is riddled with talk of “October Theory,” which is essentially a second New Year. It is the belief that within the last 90 days of the year, a major event or change in life will occur. It is a time where people begin new habits, enter into a relationship, or launch into a new career.
The changing of the colors is a sort of promissory clock, ushering in the new season. The slow shift from bright green to lemon yellow, then sunset orange to fiery red draws awe-stricken gazes outside the windows to where the vibrant leaves rustle softly in the breeze.
For many, the autumn air is permeated with nostalgia. The crunch of leaves is a portal to childhood scenes: jumping into leaf piles, running home through the light showers of rain after playing outside, and a tingling back after sitting too close to the fire. As the sun sets earlier in the day, people cozy up with a comfy throw blanket and routinely return to their favorite fall movies and shows like Dead Poets Society and Gilmore Girls. People turn off the overhead lights in favor of lamps with soft yellow hues. They settle into the warm embrace of the fall season.