One of my favourite months is October. There are so many things to love about October.
In addition to the obvious of not one, but two occasions to celebrate or embrace yourselves in, it offers a plethora of other wonderful options and opportunities before Old Man Winter comes and spoils the party.
October for our family is the start of soup season and for some reason, it tastes so much better when the winds and temperatures are cooler outside and the fresh fall veggies make the perfect additions to simmering pots.
October to me means everything pumpkin. Although pumpkins spice flavour started as early as the end of August at Starbucks and began flooding our shelves in September it still is a fabulous flavour and pumpkin can add so many fall favourites to our menus.
Apple treats are also some of the favourite things to bake come October.
Could the leaves be any more spectacular than October? Nature puts on a spectacular art show as even as September started the colour wheel of fall foliage in our landscape, the technicolour that brings in October is always something I love to soak in. Whether you take a scenic drive or like to walk amongst the shed leaves, listening to the crunch with each step, fall’s magic comes in this rite of passage.
Sweater weather as you cherish the warm embrace of long sleeves and cozy hoodies or sweaters offer.
Friday night football on a local high school football field. There is nothing like getting together with the community celebrating and cheering for the home team in the crisp fall air while catching up with family, friends and neighbours at the field.
Thanksgiving is a favourite family holiday because it not only offers an opportunity to gather for a glorious feast with the family, but it offers an opportunity to acknowledge all the reasons we are thankful. It also provides the best leftovers to be made into turkey buns, soups and casseroles.
Halloween may not carry the same popular tradition of door-to-door trick or treating, but it’s fun to watch residents deck out their yards in Halloween-themed decorations and be able to take part in Halloween-themed events and activities in whatever community you reside in. I love the traditions of high school students undertaking Halloween food drives for their local food banks, I love those with littles either from classrooms or families dress up to bring some joy to local senior homes and I love the opportunity to enjoy some of those leftover Halloween treats once Oct. 31 has concluded. Myself, I am looking forward to experiencing Pumpkins after Dark, a celebratory, glowing event being held in Saskatoon.
Drinking your first hot chocolate or hot apple cider of the season is meant for October, there I said it.
Watching Charlie Brown’s “It’s the Great Pumpkin” classic TV special or all of our favourite sitcoms with October, Thanksgiving and Halloween themes woven into them are other activities we love to take in as evening darkness comes sooner and opens the opportunity to enjoy each other’s company watching a family favourite at home. While the world outside is cooling off, we can add in a crackling fireplace and/or cozy blanket to maximize the comfort zone.
In October, school has been underway for several weeks as has the flurry of fall sporting activities begun so it’s time to experience fall festivals, harvest festivals, fall suppers and all the other great events that come with the 10th month of the year.
It isn’t just Christmas that creates seasonal movies and TV specials. Movies like Hocus Pocus, Halloweentown and other nostalgic classics remind us we are never too old to enjoy these October viewing opportunities.
What’s not to love about October? The 10th month of our year turns everything orange, gold and brown and offers a leaf-crunching perfect pause between the summer that has passed and the winter that is to come. Embrace October and all that this month has to offer in vibrant colours, enticing aromas and the cozy ambience experienced in some of fall’s finest that I have outlined here.
