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I am prepared to argue about this: fall is the best season.
It’s not “one of the best.” It’s not simply “my favorite.” It’s the best. And before the summer devotees come for me, let me remind you that you had your time. Now it’s mine.
Fall has everything.
The weather is chilly enough to break out your coziest sweater, but not cold enough to make you question every decision that led you outside. The leaves become an array of warm hues. Coffee shops start serving drinks you anticipate year round. Halloween gives us an excuse to watch scary movies and transform into our favorite characters.
Everything feels perfect.
Walking to class becomes a scene out of “Gilmore Girls.” Sitting outside becomes bearable without the sun boiling you. Going to a coffee shop to procrastinate feels like a lifestyle. Even doing homework feels slightly less miserable when you can see the leaves falling outside the library window.
Fall has mastered the art of making ordinary things feel special. And that’s why we are so obsessed with it. One of the easiest ways fall does this is by taking things we already consume and giving them a seasonal makeover. Nothing represents this better than pumpkin spice.
Coffee? Pumpkin spice.
Candles? Pumpkin spice.
Soap? Pumpkin spice.
It seems like everything gets a pumpkin spice makeover come mid-September. Things that are completely ordinary during the rest of the year become seasonal.
This is where marketing campaigns shine. A University of Florida marketing professor explained that advertisers tap into the feeling of nostalgia. Limited-time products like pumpkin spice drinks and fall-exclusive apparel also create excitement because customers know they will only be available for a short period of time. Brands offer us garb in traditional fall colors, seasonal drinks with limited-time flavors or novelty candles with decorative pumpkins on their labels. And while some might see this as just another excuse to spend money, I think it brings fall festivity into small parts of our everyday lives.
Edward Bernays, often considered the “father of public relations,” believed people could be persuaded to buy products through the ideas and emotions that are associated with them, rather than just the products’ basic utilities. In this case, brands are selling us fall, not as a season, but as a feeling: cozy, nostalgic, warm and a little mysterious. If a seasonal product makes us enjoy the little things a bit more, maybe that is not such a bad thing.
But fall is more than what we buy.
As the trees change color and the air gets colder, we pull out clothes that have been in the back of our closets. Fall practically does the work for us, providing the perfect backdrop to leave the summer version of ourselves behind. While the sun starts setting earlier, we naturally prepare for the end of the year to set with it.
After the vibrant energy of summer, fall is like a reset button. We return to campus and start getting back into our routines. As the year comes to an end, it’s time to relax before the holiday season comes to attack us with the shiny lights of the Christmas tree.
That is also part of what makes fall so satisfying. It has a sense of direction.
And that direction is more important than we think. A 2024 study found a correlation between a lack of structured routines and anxiety and depression. For college students, fall can provide that structured routine with new classes, fresh schedules and more opportunities to figure out what we’re doing with our lives.
Fall is also a season where holidays don’t feel completely overwhelming, like Christmas, which comes with gift shopping and family gatherings. Halloween gives us costumes, candy and an excuse to spend an entire night dressed as our favorite character without anyone questioning it. Thanksgiving gives us food, family time and a break from school before the final stretch of the semester. Also, don’t get me started on movies. “The Nightmare Before Christmas" is a classic and a great pick for either season.
So, to the summer people, I understand you. The warm weather is nice and going to the beach is fun. But eventually, I want to stop sweating every time I walk for only 10 minutes.
There’s a point in September where I just want to wear my sweaters again, feel the excitement of Halloween and taste the new coffee flavors that fall brings once a year.
But especially, I want a season to tell me that it’s okay to slow down and enjoy the last stretch of the year in the most comfortable way.
Fall is not perfect. No season is.
But this one happens to balance weather, food and enjoyment easily.
So, while writing this column, I’m enjoying a good coffee with a splash of almond milk while wearing one of those hoodies that want to make you rot in bed.
Fall is the best.
Astrid Alomia (she/her) is a sophomore studying journalism with a concentration in public relations and a minor in marketing and dance.
