Falling Fall Traditions
Lifestyles

Falling for Fall Traditions

The sound of school buses coming to a halt on the streets, the red, orange, and yellow foliage that paint the trees, and the perfect 60-degree weather are all indicators that the season of fall is in full swing. Autumn is everyone’s favorite season because it signifies a new beginning. Just as the trees shed their leaves during this season, fall is a time when we can abandon our past failures and focus on the opportunities and challenges that lay ahead.

The autumn season is highly centered upon traditions and time spent with family, friends, and loved ones. Beside the promise of change, and new beginnings, the season is a time for us to embrace tradition and make new memories.

During the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor saints and formally named it as All Saint’s Day. The night before became known as All Hallow’s Eve and later became known as Halloween. Every October 31st provides creatures of all kinds with an opportunity to take on a different persona for the night. People of all ages dress up in costumes, ranging from horrifying zombies to their favorite superheroes. Children trick or treating knock on doors to receive candy. Teens and adults use it as an excuse to go out and party. For all ages, Halloween is a holiday to embrace superstitions, over-indulge in sweet treats, and make some questionable decisions in regards to wardrobe and behavior.

The night before participants of Halloween suit up in their spookiest attire is known as Mischief Night. Many people go around and prank neighbors’ houses using toilet paper or eggs. For over 2 centuries, the elders of the neighborhood typically call the police and ruin the fun. However, that does not mean that the pranksters will ever stop stirring up mischief the night before All Hallow’s Eve.

A popular attraction during the September and October months are Haunted Houses. Abandoned prisons, mental asylums, hotels, cemeteries, or other creepy places that go along with the theme of Halloween are a main attraction for those that seek the thrill of being spooked. Actors and actresses dressed up in costumes are hidden around the haunted houses and jump out and scare the visitors throughout their walk. Ranked the number one scariest haunted house is The Cutting Edge Haunted House in Fort Worth, Texas, which is located inside an abandoned meat-packing plant. However, an attraction that is more convenient for us Monmouth students and was ranked as the scariest Haunted House by NJ.com is Bane Haunted House, which is located in Livingston, NJ.

A sophomore nursing student, Sam Albinson added, “I love haunted houses and haunted hay rides! I’ve been going to them since I was a little girl.”

Also, pumpkin picking, apple picking, and hayrides are also a fall tradition, or just an excuse to get a cute, artsy Instagram with your best friends. A Sophomore graphic design student, Lauren Maraday exclaimed, “I love painting pumpkins and putting them in front of my house.” 

If you don’t watch Halloweentown, Hocus Pocus, and Mom’s got a Date with a Vampire, you are most definitely not doing October right.

Pumpkin pie, apple cider donuts, and cinnamon apple muffins are just some of the delicacies that are associated with the autumn season. Also, all year people wait for the day Dunkin Donuts starts selling Pumpkin-spice lattes. These lattes are an emblem of fall, and a hot commodity amongst adolescents across the nation.

The Pillsbury ready-to-bake pumpkin cookies are the little sugar cookies decorated with pumpkins that you buy in the freezer section of the grocery store. They melt in your mouth, and are just a great part of celebrating autumn.

Thanksgiving is such a great holiday because it is a day of giving thanks and spending time with the family. People typically make an abundance of foods, which usually includes turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce. For people that love eating, it’s a wonderful time to induce a food coma. Nutrition professor, Gerry Hyland, said, “Making chili and stews is my favorite part about the fall, and Thanksgiving.”

All of these traditions are what make autumn such a special season. It is a season full of magic, history, family, and memories that will last well after all the leaves have fallen.  

IMAGE TAKEN from www.beautyblvd.net