As I’m writing this blog, I’m looking out the window as the first snowflakes of the year fall. Although they won’t stick for long, they foreshadow the snowy winter season to come, and I can’t help but get excited. I’m a firm believer that October-December are the best months of the year, and there’s plenty of reasons why. I do love the spring and summer months, but there’s something about fall and early winter that is unmatched, even by the allure of the warm summer months free of school.
View from my window during fall
October. I know the month has already passed, but I’m still including it because it has to be mentioned in a blog about the best months of the year. In Illinois, at least, this is the first true month of fall. There might be a few chillier days and scattered yellow leaves in September, but it’s really in October that autumn begins. I love when the leaves change into their vibrant red, yellow, and orange hues, and waking up to the first cold day I can wear pants after being in shorts all summer. I feel like I’m appreciating the changing landscape more than usual this year because I know that next year I won’t be in Naperville to see it. October is more than just pretty leaves, though. Pumpkin spice marketing comes out in full force, spooky decorations pop up in neighborhood yards, and everyone is excited for Halloween. There’s so many fun things to do during this time, like apple picking, going to a pumpkin patch, or visiting a fall fest (my favorite is at
Halloween, 2011
Danada). I feel like no season is welcomed as much as fall, maybe because people are happy that the hot weather is finally over. My favorite tradition is carving pumpkins with the cross country team one day after practice – our coach really loves Halloween and fall in general. And although I don’t go trick or treating anymore, I still get together with friends to celebrate. In my opinion, Halloween is the perfect transition from mid to late fall, marking the moment stores switch their displays from pumpkins to turkeys (and Christmas trees, in some cases).
November. The first round of college applications are due, daylight savings means the days are getting shorter, Thanksgiving comes around, and Christmas music appears on the radio for the first time. It’s a huge relief to have the first round of my college apps taken care of because I now have two extra months to finish my January ones. November might seem like a boring month, with the only major happening being Thanksgiving, but really enjoy this time because everyone has a generous and thankful spirit. I always spend Thanksgiving with my mom’s family in Maryland, so I love getting to visit them. The week between Thanksgiving and the beginning of December is kind of a limbo time, in my opinion, because it’s kind of fall but it’s also kind of the holiday season.
Winter in Colorado
December. The true beginning of the holiday season. People decorate their houses with beautiful lights, stores put out festive displays, holiday music is playing on the radio stations, and people are generally in a good mood. I love shopping for gifts, looking at decorations, and generally doing holiday activities. I’m lucky enough to get to celebrate both Chanukah and Christmas, and although I do feel more connected to Chanukah, the buildup to Christmas is unmatched. Aside from the holidays, December is just a fun month. Winter really begins during this month, so you can do fun winter activities like ice skating, sledding, and skiing. There’s also winter break to look forward to, because everyone can use a break from school at that point. Winter break is such a good time to reset before second semester starts because you get a true break from your classes after finals. Overall, December is definitely my favorite month in the year because of all of the fun things that happen in it, but I might just be saying that now because I’m excited for it.
Everything after. After the last pieces of confetti have been picked up from New Year’s parties, things can get kind of dreary in Illinois. It’s bitterly cold, the snow stays on the ground for so long that it turns brown, and the days feel shorter than ever. I’m choosing not to think about the months after December right now – I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it. For now, I’m just looking forward to the coming months, and I hope that you are too.
Hey Alyssa,
I totally agree with everything you said about the fall. It really is a great season because it just fits in that “in between” slot with seasons. It’s the end of the most miserable months of summer and the beginning of the holiday season so those fall months always bring a sense of excitement and enthusiasm. That said, I’ve always been a bigger fan of the spring. There’s just something about those later months of winter (January-February) that really brings my mood down because it’s more of a miserable cold than the cheery cold that November and December bring. January and February are also when school seems like it’s never going to end and there are still months left of the semester. But when spring comes all of those worries are gone as it starts to get warmer and we hit spring break. Overall I think there is just something special about transition seasons because they bring a welcome end to Summer and Winter which have both overstayed their welcome by that point.