What do you like most about autumn days?

The cosy evenings? The fresh and crisp mornings? The beautiful colours on the trees? The delicate crunch beneath your feet? The Pumpkin flavored everything?

I’m a fan of all of it.

I’ve always been a fan of Autumn: I think Autumn is truly beautiful season and that there is a wonderful atmosphere around this time of year –albeit slightly different this year.

85% of my my Instagram followers agreed.

Most voted that it was because they love the beautiful autumn colours on the trees, next voted was autumnal walks (of which 77% of my followers have enjoyed this year), and then cosy evenings.

Some also added that they love the seasonal fashion, fog, crunchy leaves and crisp mornings.

For some it’s the feeling of festivity.

Now this dosent necessarily mean Christmas, but typically it’s the movement towards celebration and events that spark a happiness in us.

I for one would call myself an outdoorsy person as I love spending time outside and finding mental refreshment, BUT I do bloomin’ love a good cosy duvet day watching films with fairy lights twinkling away as the night draws in.

I have nothing against summer (well except from the sunburn and the need to shower 12 times a day) but Autumn and the transition into winter has something spectacular about it.

The festivity of this cosy season offers a familiar security to us, we know we have events to look forward to and so the traditions offer a comfort to us.

Psychologist Amy Griffiths says; “We all crave the comfort and security that comes with traditions and predictability.”

“They may relate to joyful experiences with friends and family and provide something to look forward to,” 

Perhaps this year, more than ever, we are craving those joyful experiences with our loved ones, and hence why the excitement towards the season seems perhaps bigger than ever.

Yes, we all know things are likely to be a little different this year and we can’t throw Halloween or huge Christmas parties, but we are excited for the atmosphere that will come about.. just in a different way.

It might come in the form of a few trips to the pub with a smaller group, or a movie day on Netflix party, or a zoom mini Christmas meal with your pals (Sorry, I know, I’m getting a few months ahead of myself), but we are all craving the same thing; seeing and celebrating with our loved ones. We can still do that.

Compared to March we can still see our loved ones face to face and albeit from a social distance, its lovely to hang out and drink hot choccie and talk about what books or Netflix series we’ve recently binge watched.

We can also find cosines in wrapping up warm and getting in the fresh air — I for one am thankful for always carrying a face-mask to protect my nose for when the cold is a little bitter outdoors.

Other than the snotty nose, Autumn is romanticized. Perhaps its picturesque setting is the backdrop we envisage for our wishful movielike scenes in our everyday life.

Or do we just love it because autumn is marketed to us through pumpkin spice and must have Halloween decor?

Alternatively, Autumn brings an element of cyclical closure of an ending but also the start of a new beginning.. maybe that’s why we are excited that Autumn is here; we are ready for a new start post-covid.

Thanks for reading, the pictures in this blog post were taken when I went on an Autumn walk with my Mum and dog at Ashton Court and with my boyfriend* at Tyntesfield in October.

*said boyfriend, Will, also took some of these pictures so I can’t claim credit to all of them.

Let me know in the comments what you love about Autumn and why it feels extra hyped this year.