And just like that, it’s September and autumn has begun.
The weather is cooling down — hopefully. The hours of daylight are getting shorter. And soon everything will smell and taste like pumpkin spice, like it or not.
Some rituals begin. We start cautiously putting away our shorts and vest tops in anticipation of airing out the jumpers and cardigans that will be part of our wardrobe for the next five or six months. We plant spring bulbs. We start closing all the windows and making sure the heating is up to snuff.
Since living in the UK, I’ve developed a love-hate relationship with autumn. Right now, I’m pleased with the idea that it won’t be so hot soon, but I really dislike knowing that we’ll be losing more and more daylight with each passing day.
So, let’s talk about autumn.
Meteorological vs Astronomical Autumn
Now, before you start correcting me and saying that the first day of September is not the first day of autumn, you are correct — sort of.
Over the past couple of years, I’d get my back up a bit whenever I heard someone say summer had started and it was only the first of June. “No, summer doesn’t start until, like, mid-June,” I’d say. It especially bothered me because I love spring and don’t like to see it end.
But it turns out I was a little bit wrong. Maybe I missed this during the 50-plus years I’ve been alive, but I was never aware that there were both meteorological and astronomical definitions of when a season begins.
So, according to the Met Office, meteorological autumn begins on the first day of September and ends on 30 November. By contrast, astronomical autumn starts with the autumn equinox, which falls on 22 or 23 September, “when the Sun shines directly on the equator and day and night are nearly equal in length.”
What I Love About Autumn
When I was living in the desert Southwest in the US, autumn was a much-welcomed season. It meant the beginning of the end of a long, hot summer that usually started in March and sometimes extended well into October. Things didn’t seem to change much; it just signalled that the heat would soon go away.
It wasn’t until I moved away from Arizona that I learned what autumn was really like. It was a proper season. The leaves changed colour and eventually fell to the ground. The air became crisper and cooler. I liked that transformation quite a lot.
The clothing change alone is a definite plus. As soon as the temperature drops, I’m quickly back in jumpers. In fact, because it’s been cooler in the mornings this past week, I’ve already pulled out my wear-around-the-house jumpers. I love a nice light jacket, a boxy jumper, jeans and comfy boots. I’m also a knitter, so some of my lighter knitted items start coming out of storage around this time of year.
Then there are the scents of autumn. Until last year, I had never tried a pumpkin spice latte. Lattes of any flavour other than vanilla have never been my favourite because they tend to be too sweet. Last year, I finally broke down and tried one — made with soy milk, of course. It wasn’t half bad. However, it’s still not as good as Bird & Blend’s Spiced Pumpkin Chai — not a sponsorship!
That said, I love the smell of pumpkin spice or cinnamon, especially in candle form. While I rarely light a candle in the summer, I love lighting one on an autumn evening and making the house smell like freshly baked goodies.
The Dark Side of Autumn
Probably the thing I dislike most about autumn is that the hours of daylight get shorter and shorter. It obviously gets worse in December and January, but just the idea that the sun will start disappearing earlier and earlier fills me with dread.
The one thing I love about summer is that the sun rises stupidly early and goes down stupidly late. I’m not fond of darkness. The sun shining through the window is how I like to wake up in the morning. When it’s still dark at 7am, I wake up with a brain that feels sludgy.
We also get a lot more rain in autumn. This is something I’m going to try not to complain about this year since the UK is experiencing a drought. But the combination of shorter days and grey skies makes things feel very gloomy.
It’s not just me who has a moan about these downsides of autumn — and eventually winter. Coogee the cat hates it too. He ends up spending more time inside, which we like, but he does not. While we love that he’s much more willing to cuddle, he would much rather be baking in the sun in the back garden.
Enjoying Autumn While It Lasts
I suppose that’s what autumn is to me. Equal parts lovely and slightly depressing. I’m happy to have cooler mornings, jumpers, candles and all the pumpkin and cinnamon-scented things I can get my hands on. I’m less enthusiastic about watching the daylight disappear a little earlier every evening.
Nevertheless, winter will be here soon enough, so I’m going to try to enjoy autumn while it lasts. Preferably with a cup of tea, a candle burning and a cat reluctantly spending more time indoors.
